


Fire Away

by Spare_Parts_Bud



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Sexual Assault, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Idiots in Love, Language, Love, Post-Canon, Sex, Slow Burn, Smut, Trauma, alternating pov, ish, karen on the run, kastle - Freeform, post tps2, there's kind of a plot?, will have a warning in chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:14:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 69,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24934339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spare_Parts_Bud/pseuds/Spare_Parts_Bud
Summary: It seems that Fisk being behind bars isn't enough to keep him from threatening Karen. So to protect her friends, she makes a break for it until she can make a plan.When Frank finds out Karen is in danger, he has a hard time remembering why he was supposed to stay away from her. He tells himself he will just make sure she is safe and then step out of her life again. That's what he tells himself.Whoo buddy I am bad at summaries.
Relationships: Frank Castle & Karen Page, Frank Castle/Karen Page
Comments: 79
Kudos: 196





	1. Honey Load Up Your Questions

**Author's Note:**

> WELL. I have been working on this fic since February and what started as a small chaptered fic is now 12 chapters and 60,000 words and counting (finishing up last chapter now). 
> 
> This is my first attempt at something this long and involved and I am a bit nervous about it so if you have any critiques or helpful thoughts, it would be appreciated! Honestly, it isn't the strongest of plots, I mostly just wanted to be able to focus on Karen and Frank coming to terms with the fact that they love each other and share my version of them coming together.
> 
> There will be a chapter with attempted sexual assault, I will be posting a very clear warning at the beginning of the chapter, so please read the notes closely if you would like to skip this scene.
> 
> The title and chapter names are from Chris Stapleton's song Fire Away. I highly recommend listening to it!
> 
> Chapters released every week!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Karen Page is feeling somewhat optimistic for the first time in what feels like years. Walking leisurely home after a long day in the office, a pleasant Spring breeze blew her lightly curled hair from her face and it was warm enough she could carry her jacket folded over her arms. Things have settled into a relatively calm routine, as calm as they can be in Hell's Kitchen anyway. Nelson, Murdock and Page are fighting the good fight with a steady clientele that may even allow them to move out of the back of the butcher shop someday. Her and Matt finally recovered their friendship to a comfortable place, she still had trouble giving him her full trust but no longer felt like punching him at a moment's notice. Well, maybe she only got the urge every once and awhile now. Fisk was still locked away and due to the many vigilantes roaming around New York, crime had actually lulled a bit over the past year.

She tried to tell herself she didn't still feel an aching loss where a certain brooding vigilante with an incredible kill count used to be. She could pretend it wasn't there most days, only letting the ache and bitterness take over during especially bad moments. Karen hadn't so much as caught a glimpse of him but she tracked body counts of gang members and human traffickers, having no doubt who was behind those crime scenes.

All in all though, things were going well and Karen felt like, just maybe, things were going to be alright. 

How incredibly, childishly naive of her.

She would have laughed at her own foolishness if her searing ribs would allow her to draw in any breath. She had barely registered the fact she had been pulled into the alleyway before the blows started. Just as quickly as they had begun they stopped and Karen was being held up by her throat, "Mr. Fisk sends his regards, Ms. Page." Then suddenly she was doubling over when the final blow punctuated the message perfectly.

Trying valiantly not to retch, Karen whipped her head up to try and catch a glimpse of her assailant but he was long gone. Only giving herself a second to collect her bearings and ignore the burning of ribs, she stood unsteadily, placing one hand in her bag to grip her .380 while the other cradled her throbbing torso.

A cold calm washed over her as she finished her walk home, barely processing the words the man had said. There would be time to think about that later, first she needed to get home alive. Instead, she focused on her surroundings, eyeing every corner critically, keeping as much distance between herself and other commuters as possible. She needed to call Matt but first she had to get to her apartment, somewhere secure, it wouldn't do to have this conversation on the street. It was sickening to think that Fisk was making power moves again after such a short time. The fact that he had his sights set on her wasn’t a comforting thought either considering what had transpired the last time they saw one another.

It felt like an eternity before she was stumbling up the steps to her apartment. Each breath felt like another blow to her abused ribs and stomach and her nerves became more and more frayed the closer she got to her door. She stopped short with a quiet, "Oh what the fuck now," when she saw an envelope pinned to her door that simply read 'Ms. Karen Page' in flowing script. Ripping it down, she quickly unlocked the door before slamming it back in place and replacing all the locks. 

Karen thought ruefully she would have done Frank proud the way she diligently stalked through her apartment, gun at the ready. Once she had assured herself there was no one waiting in the dark corners of her home, Karen hesitantly stood at her kitchen island with the envelope resting in front of her. Reaching for her phone she began to dial Matt’s number as she ripped the letter open and began skimming through the lines. She abruptly hit end on the call before it had a chance to connect, the neat script making her blood run cold before everything went numb:

_Greetings Ms. Page,_

_I hope life has been treating you well. By now, I presume you have received my first correspondence. You see, I have had quite a lot of time here in my cage to think about what you said Ms. Page, about my dear friend James._

_For a moment, I did wonder about his duplicity. Had he betrayed me? Had my faith been misplaced in this man? However, just as he always did, James only had my best interest at heart. He strove to build a better future for our city, he worked tirelessly to see my dreams come to fruition. That is, until you murdered him Ms. Page. Try as I might to let this go, I am afraid you must be held responsible for your actions._

_Of course, in order to keep my dear Vanessa safe, I will remain in this cell you and your friends so kindly placed me in. I do have an agreement with Mr. Murdock after all._

_So, I am going to give you a choice, much like James did so long ago. You can remain in the city, tell Mr. Murdock and the police, and then watch your friends slowly fall around you. You see, these prison walls are barely an inconvenience, it will take very little effort to find Mr. Nelson and his lovely fiance Marci, Detective Mahoney and his elderly mother, Mr. Ellison at his slanderous newspaper, and of course Matthew Murdock would not be exempt from my retribution._

_Your other option, Ms. Page, is to run. I will have you pursued of course, nowhere you go will be out of my reach. Give me the thrill of the hunt to keep me occupied while I wait behind these bars. Rest assured, I will have you hunted down, Ms. Page. You will suffer for what you have done._

_The choice is yours, remain in the city and die, only after those around you have died for your cause, or run and it will only be your death._

_Will it be your blood or theirs Ms. Page?_

_Sincerely,_

_Wilson Fisk_

Strangely the first thought that hit her was how ballsy it was of him to sign his name to such an incriminating and threatening letter. It only took a moment for her to remember that Wilson Fisk was untouchable, even now. If the evidence they had compiled against him already didn't slow him down, nothing would.

Her second thought blurred into momentary panic, sharp intakes of breath that reminded her of her earlier assault. The pain grounded her enough to regain her footing. "Okay, enough of that, it isn't going to change anything." Karen speared her fingers through her hair, gripping the pale blonde lockes at the the sides of her head, taking a moment to think.

First things first, Karen gingerly prods her side determining that, despite the fact they hurt like hell, she doesn't have any broken ribs. Next, she checks the bus schedules out of the city. While she waited for them to load her eyes roamed her apartment, landing on a vase that once held white roses. Karen briefly considered running to the florist but with a roll of her eyes, quickly set that idea aside. It’s not like the intended person would see them anyway and she didn’t want him to see them either. The less people involved, the better.

Glancing through the schedule she had an idea of which bus she would be departing on so the next course of action was to gather what few things she could and be gone before she lost her nerve.

The longer she was in the city, the more danger her friends were in, so she grabbed what little bit she could, left a note on her kitchen island she was sure Matt or Foggy would find eventually and broke the sim card in her phone, leaving it as well. She silently thanked her own paranoia as she had several hundred dollars in cash she had squirreled away over the course of a year. It wouldn't last forever but it would give her time to figure something out. Hopefully. 

Karen Page had a lot of blood on her hands, she'd be damned if anyone else died because of her. She turned around, giving her apartment a quick glance, trying not to think about how it could be her last look before the door shut behind her and only echoing silence was left.

\----

Frank was in a foul mood. Not that he was ever in a sunny disposition but today had him especially grumpy. He had spent the better part of the last 4 months weeding out and demolishing this human trafficking ring and was now on the last handful of shitbags before he finished the job. But of course, some hopped up holy roller in red pajamas had to show up and get in the damn way.

"What the fuck Red? I thought we had come to some kind of understanding. Specifically, you staying out of my fucking way." He punctuated the statement with a knife under one of the men's ribcage, quickly cutting off a scream with a punctured lung. 

Daredevil turned from landing a vicious kick to a man's temple to knock the knife out of Frank's hand with one of his batons before sending it flying across the building to effectively knock the last man unconscious. 

His voice was slightly labored when he finally answered, "I don't recall any sort of arrangement. I should be taking you to the police station right now." He turned his eerie gaze on Frank which had Frank squaring up and ready to put up a fight. He had no interest in killing Daredevil but he would be willing to hurt him if it meant he wouldn't end up back in prison. However, with a resigned sigh, the red-clad vigilante put away his remaining baton and held up his hands in a peace offering.

"I actually was just trying to find you for some information you may have, I don't really have the time to fight you right now." He really did look pretty haggard, Frank thought. That didn't make him any more willing to cooperate though.

"Sorry Red, I'm sure I don't have any information to help your crusade." He said, his voice low and harsh as he bent to pick up the pistol that had been knocked from his hand previously, checked the remaining rounds before securing it and returning it to the holster. He took a bit of satisfaction from the exasperated huff behind him, wiping the blood from his busted lip and starting to limp off.

"I need to know if you have been in contact with Karen Page."

Frank did his best to hide the way his entire body tensed and the way his breath seized in his lungs for a fraction of a second. When he slowly turned around though, he could tell he wasn't entirely successful by the sour look on the other man's face.

"I know you two have a...history of some sort. I was wondering if you had heard from her recently." His voice was tense, like every word felt like broken glass he had to force past his lips.

This night just kept getting better and better. Just what he wanted to top off this clusterfuck, more reason to worry after Karen Page's well-being. The sneer on his face was reflected thickly in his voice, "She's your friend, _Murdock_ , she would have spoken to you before she did me. In fact, I don't think you have to worry about her speaking to me ever again." He tried not to sound bitter, it was after all his intention to drive her away all those months ago. 

The small flinch Matt gave at hearing his name showed that he had held out some hope that maybe Frank hadn't known his identity. _No such luck, Red_. It only took him a second to recover though, his head tilting in that way he does when he hears something interesting. Trying to move this conversation along so he could go home and brood alone, he growled, "Did you think to give her a call, Red? Why the hell are looking for her if you see her everyday?"

"I haven't seen or heard from her since Friday afternoon when she left the office for the day. She wasn't at work today." Frank scowled, it was Monday evening. Before he could follow up with another question, Matt continued, "I tried calling her this morning but her phone said it was out of service. When I visited her apartment she didn't answer there either. It didn't seem like she had been there for quite some time."

Frank squared up with the other man once more, listening intently. There was no reason to get anxious yet. Karen Page was incredibly independent, she could have just chosen to take a weekend trip or maybe she just didn't want to talk to Matt Murdock. 

As if he could sense Frank's thoughts, Matt gave a sharp shake of his head, "She would have told Foggy or I if she was going somewhere. Besides, when I went into her apartment, I found her cellphone with the sim card broken beside it as well as her laptop. She wouldn't have gone anywhere without that. I've been getting word that Fisk has been busy during his detainment at Rikers. I’m concerned that he may have gotten to Karen somehow."

Just hearing Karen's name in the same discussion as Wilson Fisk's had Frank instantly on edge, his brows drawing together and his voice coming out rough, "What the hell does Fisk have to do with Karen? You're the one that was always in his way, why would he go after her and not you?" Suddenly his anxiety started to bleed into rage, "Did you get her involved in your shit Red?" He took a threatening step forward, hands tightening into fists when he saw guilt pass over the other man's face, "What, you started writing checks and dragging her into shit and now she has to cash them?” Frank turned to the side, shaking his head with disgust before he turned back, “This is why your way doesn't work. You preach about givin' people another chance and all you've done is given Fisk a chance to go after Karen!"

Matt's own anger started to boil to the surface, "Karen has her own history with Fisk, she is the one who initially brought his crimes to the light. Among other things. I believe it is the other things that has him after her, if it is him at all." It really didn't surprise Frank at all to hear that Karen picked a fight with Fisk. With a derisive snort Matt stepped toe to toe with Frank, "I'll put Fisk away a million times by the book before I turn into a murderer like you. I can protect Karen and this city without slaughtering people."

It was taking every bit of Frank's remaining willpower not to punch the man. If he were honest, the biggest thing that stopped him was he knew how hard that ridiculous horned helmet was. So he turned on his heels striding towards the exit, throwing biting words over his shoulder, he figured those would do more damage to the altar boy anyway, "You are clearly doing a bang up job of protecting her Red, considerin' you can't even find her. She probably took off to handle it herself, she's tough as nails and has more sense than you. She knows your way doesn't always work." 

Without slowing down to see if there were any retort, Frank strode out of the warehouse heading straight for the van he had parked several blocks away. His head was churning with possibilities, a plan half formed before he climbed into the driver seat and tore off in the direction of Hell's Kitchen. First, he would get into her apartment to see if there were any clues. If he didn't find enough information there, he would have to reach out to David. The hacker would be able to track her movements through the city. He really didn't want to involve him if he could avoid it but if Karen had been missing since Friday night, he would need help figuring out a direction.

Briefly Frank wondered to himself if he should be doing this. He and Karen had split ways with a certain finality all those months ago, was it even his place to get involved? He then thought of Fisk and the raw power the man had both physically and in regards to his grip on the city. Just the idea of Fisk backing Karen into a corner had him pushing the accelerator and trying not to let the rage take over. He had pushed Karen away, yes, but it was to keep her safe. He'd be damned if he or anyone else ruined her life. If he knew she was in danger, there was no way he could sit back and do nothing. Not after everything she has done for him. If it turned out she was fine, all the better, she could scream at him 'til she was red in the face and he would take it happily if it meant she was okay.

Either way, he wouldn't rest until he knew that Karen Page was safe.


	2. Pick Up Your Sticks and Your Stones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank catches up to Karen. It should be easy, come up with a plan and handle the situation. But things are never that easy for them.
> 
> In which, the stress catches up with Karen and Frank is at a loss.

Karen wasn't sure how long she had been staring blankly at the infomercial on the small tv in her shoe box motel room. If the crick in her neck was any indication, it had been awhile. She had a slight feeling of nostalgia take over, remembering being a kid, sick on the couch watching these ridiculous ads when she couldn't sleep. Reminiscing of her childhood never really put her in a good head space so she quickly tried to redirect.

Though thinking about her current situation wasn't exactly a good head space either.

She had been on the road for hours today, not including the past three days she had been traveling by bus, cramped into a window seat and trying not to look paranoid. She finally had landed in a mid-sized town somewhere in central Indiana, it was nondescript enough to make her feel safe to stop for a night at least but didn’t stop her from eyeing every corner or passing cars with suspicion. Shifting around a bit, she grunted at the effort it took to move her limbs, they felt like lead weights. Karen hadn't felt this bone tired since she left home and ended up alone and scared in New York.

"Okay Karen, let's not go down that particular memory lane shall we..." She muttered before running a hand through her limp hair. Karen hadn’t mustered up the energy to shower yet but she sorely needed one. She convinced herself she would take one once the program was over so she sat up against the headboard and took another minute to watch the mind numbing infomercial about some 'incredible' duct tape.

Letting out a long breath, realizing this wasn't going to help her situation Karen pulled out her newly purchased pawnshop laptop and began trying to organize her thoughts. If she couldn’t make herself get out of the bed, she would at least get some work done while she was there. After receiving the letter from Fisk, Karen hardly had time to plan and while she traveled all of her focus had been on making sure she wasn’t being followed. It took a moment to prop herself up in a comfortable position, the days of bus travel had not been kind to her abused ribs, her torso a lovely watercolor of purples and blues at this point.

Once she was situated, computer in her lap and notes scattered around her, Karen did what she did best, began digging into Fisk's case again, looking for the overlooked information. She was exhausted from looking at his details and honestly, it felt like a useless venture.The man kept slipping through the system and ending up stronger on the other side. But her investigative abilities and tenacity were all she had at this point so she had to make the best of it. 

She thanked whatever gods may be that she had remembered to grab what hard copies of his files she had at her apartment on the way out as she looked over the details of one of the many court documents spread across the mattress. She wouldn't be able to access anything electronically without the possibility of being tracked. Every detail of every file was burned into her memory but she continued to scour them, there had to be something they missed. 

She was so engrossed in her work that the light knock on her room door had Karen's heart nearly in her throat. She quickly grabbed her .380 from the nightstand and stood, safety off before she had much chance to think about it. Slowly, with nearly silent footsteps she crept across the room and leaned into the door, staring intently through the peephole. It was a man, that much she could tell. Broad shoulders with a deadly stance. Which, if he was there for her, could be very bad news. His face was tilted towards the ground, hidden by a baseball cap and she saw him reach up and wrap his knuckles on the door again. 

Aiming her gun directly at the man's chest through the door, Karen took a steadying breath, forcing the tremor from her voice and tried to sound pleasant, "Who is it?".

The man looked up, directly into the peephole with a small smirk, the rumble of his voice hit her in the chest as the sight of his dark eyes made her lightheaded. 

"Housekeeping." 

Karen wanted to be amused, she did, but all she could feel was an alarming mix of relief and anxiety.

Frank Castle. Frank  _ fucking  _ Castle. How the hell had he found her? How had he even known she was gone? They hadn't spoken since the hospital room and she hadn’t so much as caught a glimpse of him in that time. That had been well over a year ago, so why, on God's green earth, was he standing outside of her dingy motel room in the middle of nowhere Indiana while she was on the run?

She saw him shift on his feet, his eyes still trained on her as if he could read her every move through the door. Karen wouldn't be surprised if he had xray vision at this point.

"Are you gonna to open the door or am I gonna to have to pick the lock?" He said, his voice was low and while the question may have been meant to be said jokingly, she could tell he was deadly serious. Shaking herself free of her stupor, Karen slid the chain off the door and flipped the locks, taking one more second to steady herself before jerking the door open.

For a moment they just stared at each other, both trying to pretend like they were unaffected. She noticed he had a fading bruise over his right eye, a couple days worth of stubble and a small cut on his lip. He wore a regular black t-shirt over dark jeans and she noticed with the barest of a smile that he had on the usual combat boots. Overall, he looked way better than the last time she saw him. Wouldn’t be hard to beat the battered mess he had been at the time though. Frank's gaze slipped from her face, taking the rest of her in, scanning her just as she had done him, before his eyes settled on the gun in her hand. She did her best not to shiver at the approval she saw in his gaze.

"Fancy seeing you here." She gave him a pointed look to go with her dry tone, "You're a long way from New York." 

Gesturing with her .380 for him to come in, Karen quickly closed the door and replaced all of the locks before turning on the standing lamp in the corner and placing her gun safely on the nightstand. She watched warily as Frank looked around the room, eyes resting briefly on the scattered papers across the bed before turning back to her, looking far too casual for the situation they were currently experiencing. 

Karen was absentmindedly wringing her hands as she watched him, still trying to discern his purpose for being here and how  _ the hell _ he had found her. She was also battling the annoying feeling of relief and the low thrill of seeing him after so long. Finally, she just raised her eyebrows and pinned him with a look, hoping it would be enough to get an answer out of him because she sure as hell didn’t trust her voice right now.

\---

Standing outside the dirty green door of room 56 had Frank more nervous than he had been in ages. He worried what state he would find Karen in, had she been attacked already, been injured? There was also the bit where he had told her he didn't want her a year and a half ago and now he was standing outside of her door, that didn't help his nerves. But her safety would come before his comfort, always. So he knocked on the door.

He didn't hear anything but, just like always with Karen, he could feel her eyes on him through the door. Karen’s gaze was always like a brand, burning accountability, forgiveness and truth into his skin. Always truth. He kept his head down, feeling an itch in his trigger finger, typically an indication that there was a gun pointed at him. He wasn't sure if revealing his face would make it more or less likely he would be shot, so he settled for knocking again. It took a second but he finally heard her voice filter through, strong and feigning nonchalance, "Who is it?" God it felt good to hear her. Without thinking he gave a lame line, looking directly into the peephole. 

The air around him grew thick with anticipation. Which quickly turned to impatience on his part, "Are you gonna open the door or am I gonna have to pick the lock?"

It didn't take long to hear the telltale clicks of the locks and before he had time to prepare himself more, she was standing before him. Frank locked eyes with her for a moment before letting his eyes trail down her, checking for any sign of injury. He vaguely acknowledged how strange it was to see her out of pencil skirts and business attire. A fleeting thought that evaporated as he took in her long legs encased in light jeans and the loose fitting t-shirt swallowing her lean frame. At a glance someone might think her skinny and fragile but Frank knew the power hiding in that lithe form. Finding no injuries his eyes settled on her hand clutching her firearm, a prime example of how powerful she could be. Fierce approval ran through him, she was ready to defend herself and it calmed his nerves a bit to see her ready to fight if need be.

He was brought out of his reverie by her comments then stepped inside after she made a vague gesture. He watched her lock the door again and move to a lamp in the dim room. He did a quick scan of the layout, noting a hastily packed bag, a beat up laptop and files spread across the bed. All in all, it was very much Karen Page. His gaze finally settled on her again, she looked exhausted, pale blonde hair hanging limply around her shoulders, blue eyes dark with weariness and her usual straight shoulders had a slight bend to them. But fuck, she was still so beautiful to him. 

Frank watched her hands move restlessly and he didn’t miss the question in her eyes. She looked on edge so he kept his voice as light as he could, though the sarcasm was still heavy when he spoke, “Quite a vacation spot ya got here. Plan it yourself?”

She stopped for a moment, eyeing him before she dropped her hands to her hips and gave him a small lopsided smile, “Well I thought about the Bahamas or maybe London but they are so overrated, ya know? A run down motel in the middle of nowhere, cornfield and cattle as far as they eye can see is much more my speed. ”

A laugh huffed from his chest before Frank could stop it. He had nearly forgotten her quick wit and equally sarcastic humor, even as exhausted as she looked she didn’t miss a beat when firing back at him. 

She turned serious though, pinning him with a pointed stare, her voice thin and quiet as she asked, “What are you doing here Frank?”

He wanted to banter a bit more, just enjoy listening to her talk for a few more minutes, her voice like a balm on his battered soul but he supposed the coming argument was going to happen either way. Rather than answer her question, he fired back with his own, "What the hell were you thinkin', Karen?" 

She looked shocked for a moment before her features hardened to meet his, replying curtly. "I'm not sure what you mean." Karen crossed her arms defensively over her chest, a sure sign she was going to give him hell.

Giving a quick shake of his head, Frank drug his bottom lip through his teeth in frustration, "Don't do that. Don't do that, Karen. You know exactly what I mean." Looking at her once again he was simply met with raised eyebrows and defiant expression. "Fine, I mean you just up and leavin’, without a word to anyone. I mean, you jumping buses from New York, zig-zagging through all the states in between there and here. Indiana of all fucking places. Do you even have a plan? Or did you actually think it was a good idea to grab a bag and throw yourself out in the open as an easy target?"

He hadn’t meant to unload on her like that but the past 24 hours had been an exhausting mix of worry and dread so he found it difficult to control his temper. When Frank realized his voice was rising he made a conscious effort to reign in his anger, settling for a low growl, "You should have told me you were in trouble."

Karen was dragging in quick agitated breaths by the time he was finished. A storm of emotions playing over her delicate features that had him bracing for impact. 

When she finally spoke her voice was sharp but steady, each word rising in volume, "I didn't tell you, Frank, because it wasn't your problem to deal with. My life is not your problem." 

His jaw gave a violent tick at that comment but she continued, "You have your own business to handle, my problems aren't for you to fix." If he clenched his jaw any tighter he may break some teeth. Frank takes a sharp intake of breath, preparing to respond but she wasn't finished, "You made it very clear at our last meeting that this" she made a vague gesture between them, "is not something you wanted. I do have some pride you know. Besides, it is something I got myself into and I will get myself out of it.” 

Suddenly her rage was fading into guilt, her voice losing its firmness in favor of a small tremor. “I am done with getting the people around me hurt because of my mistakes." 

Frank clicked his tongue, shaking his head. He paced as much as the tiny room would allow, trying to shake the sharp pain in his chest that her reminder of their conversation in the hospital room caused. This wasn't the time to allow himself to think too deeply on that, "So what, you run to middle of nowhere Indiana and hope the shit doesn't follow you? Someone isn't right behind you to kill you? You're just gonna live off the grid, pay everything with cash and a fake ID for the rest of your life, huh?" He saw some of the fire return to her gaze, good, he could hold his ground better if she was angry too, "You should have called me Karen, I could-.."

"Called you?" Her voice was full of incredulity, "With what number Frank? Hm? I guess I could have reached out to you through one of your associates," she gave a derisive, short laugh, "Oh wait! I don't know any of them! I didn’t even know for sure that you were  _ alive _ . So please, tell me how I was supposed to get in touch with you?" He remained silent because, well, he's kind of an idiot. Of course she didn't have a way to contact him, he had made sure to extricate himself from her life completely. 

She wasn't finished, the anger that had just returned began to melt away, much to his horror, into devastation and panic. She was the one pacing now, her hands going from her hair to gesturing wildly, "I KILL people Frank! Not like you, no, I just make all the wrong decisions and then people die, not including the people I have actually killed with my own two hands." She's gasping for air suddenly like she had been running uphill for miles, her hands held into fists at her sides. He felt his eyes widen in shock for a second before she pressed on, "I didn't ask for help because I am tired of people dying around me,  _ because _ of me, and not being able to do anything about it. Even if I had a way to contact you I wouldn't have done it. I have seen you survive so much," He took a hesitant step forward when a choked sob escaped her lips, "but I just knew if I involved you in this it would be your death warrant and I will not allow that. God knows my fucked up shit could kill someone as indestructible as you!" 

Frank was at a loss. He had never seen Karen so wrecked and he didn’t know where to start to salvage this situation. His heart wrenched with every ragged breath she released, tears leaving shining tracks on her cheeks and her shoulders shaking with the effort to keep herself together. She took an unsteady step back when he reached for her and Frank was ripped open by her despair.

\---

Spots were starting to dance in Karen’s vision. Damn it, having a panic attack in front of Frank Castle was the last thing she wanted to do right now, or ever for that matter. Nevertheless, every breath she tried to take got stuck and it was getting harder to push words past the lump in her throat.

"I hurt people Frank, I act like I'm there to help but in the end I just....ruin their lives. If they are even lucky enough to survive.” Her voice was strangled and thick and she just wanted to lay down and forget everything. 

“I ruin things. That's what I do..." Her words cut off in a choke as she heard her father's words echoing in her head, 'That's what you do Karen', with his screams in the background like a morbid chorus as he hunched over her brother's broken body.

The world grayed out around her and she didn't remember hitting her knees, the only thing Karen could focus on was the burning in her chest, where all of her buried demons were clawing their way to the surface. She is vaguely aware of the scratchy carpet rubbing her legs raw as something is gently rocking her. Still, she couldn't seem to get her world back in focus. Her father's words kept blaring in her ears and the faces of people dead because of her swam in front of her vision. Their voices shouting her every failure so loudly she was afraid she may go deaf from it. Hoping she would so she could finally have some peace.

Karen felt herself being shifted and cradled against a solid wall of warmth. Soft lips moved against the skin of her temple as she was tightly tucked into Frank, her forehead pressed to his neck. She tried to focus on his skin pressed against hers, his rough hand running up and down her arm. 

Her hearing slowly returned to Frank muttering assurances into her temple. His voice was warm with a softness she hadn't yet heard from him, "Hey, it's alright, I've got you. C'mon, don't cry, breathe, Karen." 

Cry? Is she crying? She absentmindedly touched her cheek and felt the tears cascading through her fingers. She thought she was breathing but with a hiccoughing gasp she realized he was right about that too, she was still barely taking in any air. Self loathing hit her hard, how could she be breaking down in front of Frank of all people. This man had been through more than she could ever dream of and she was crying like a child in front of him. She tried to push herself to her feet but he didn't give an inch. Karen didn’t know how to accept comfort anymore, she was used to falling apart alone, a bottle of whiskey the only glue she had to hold her pieces together.

Frank shifted her around, forcing her to meet his eyes, bottomless and impossibly dark, full of concern for her. Gently, he rested his forehead to hers. This was familiar, it grounded her like the assurances couldn't and calmed the maelstrom of her thoughts. No, there wasn't smoke, shrapnel and blood in the air this time but her adrenaline and panic were just as high. 

His hands were speared into her hair on either side of her head, holding her to him, his soulful eyes willing her to hear him this time, "Karen, breathe." With a shudder she pulled in a lungful of air, ignoring the sharp pain it caused. Quickly followed by another. She began pacing her breathing to his and after a few minutes she felt nearly human again. Nearly. She isn't sure how long they sat like that on the dingy motel carpet but he continued his patient swaying as she continued to collect herself.

Her voice was hoarse when she finally did speak, "I,um...sorry about that. It's been a long few days. I think it just caught up to me." 

Frank’s eyes searched her face as he let her pull back a bit but he didn’t let her leave completely, putting a gentle hand on her back and resuming the soothing rubbing of her arm. Karen allowed him to keep her in place, she was completely drained and couldn’t have put up much of a fight anyway.

Eventually she did pull away, rising unsteadily to her feet. She went to move past him but Frank was on his feet before she could go far, snagging her hand and pulling her into a tight hug. The smell of strong coffee and metal filled Karen's senses and it seemed like such a fitting thing for Frank.

Against her better judgement she sank her chin into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him like she did so long ago, swaying in her living room when he briefly popped back into her life. For the first time in days she felt safe and it made her want to curl up and sleep for hours.

He didn't comment on her breakdown or what she said, much to her relief. He just gave her one last light squeeze before stepping back to a safe distance. She felt that almost physical ache she got every  time she felt him moving away from her whether physically or emotionally. It made it hard to meet his eyes but Karen was determined to get past this moment of weakness with what dignity she had left. 

Lifting her eyes she met Frank's with steely determination. Her breath caught when she saw what looked like admiration and pride in his gaze instead of the pity and disgust she expected. It made her heart swell in her chest but she didn't have time to appreciate that for long before he was being contrary again.

\---

Frank felt pride swell in his chest when he saw Karen take a deep breath, square her shoulders and lift her gaze to meet his head on. Not that he had the right to feel pride.  _ She's not yours asshole, you don't have a claim on her _ . Still, her crystalline eyes burned with determination and a grit he rarely saw in people and he had worked with some incredible soldiers. He felt exalted just to be in her presence. Karen was no shrinking violet, she wouldn't let this world break her and it only made the affection he felt for her spread through his body at an alarming rate. If Frank was honest with himself, 'affection' was an inadequate word for what he felt but he shoved that thought down as quickly as it came up. No time for that, they had to make a plan.

He started to open his mouth but snapped it shut when a loud growl came from Karen. In an instant he saw her go completely red and wrap an arm around her stomach. Frank tried and failed miserably to hide his amusement when he raised his eyebrows at her. 

"Let's get some food, then some rest and we can start planning from there." He said when she continued to act like her body hadn’t just betrayed her. Karen gave him an exasperated look and seemed ready to give her whole spiel again. 

Holding up a hand, Frank spoke as softly as he could, not wanting to set her off again so soon. He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy their occasional spats, Karen never took his shit lying down and it was refreshing to battle from time to time without the guns and blood. Frank did love the thrill of the fight and Karen never disappointed. However, she was still teetering on the edge of panic and desperation and he didn't want to cause more damage, "The subject is temporarily closed." Her gaze turned mutinous, "C'mon Karen, we could both use some food and rest, at least I know I could use it. When was the last time you ate?" 

The question made her pause, Frank raised an eyebrow as he watched her think and gave a low chuckle when her delicate brows pulled down in concentration, "If you can't remember, then it is definitely time for you to eat. Let's go."

He could see her still trying to decide if she wanted to put up more of a fight, staring down at the carpet. Frank leaned in, looking up at her through his lashes to catch her eye. When he was sure he had her attention he muttered with a smirk, "Greasy diner food for old time's sake?" 

It had the desired effect, her lips quirked up slightly and then quietly, her voice still thick from her tears, she said, "How could a girl turn down greasy diner food?"

Taking the small victory, Frank gave a lopsided grin before carefully stepping around her and opening the door to step out into the evening air. He had parked his van in the back of the small lot with the purpose of monitoring the motel and ensuring it was the right one in his search for Karen. They made their way across the small lot and he guided Karen to the passenger side, opening her door for her, smirking to himself at her dubious perusal of his vehicle. "I know, it's not exactly a Mercedes but it means we don't have to walk to food." 

She looked over at him with raised eyebrows, "I think the fact it isn't a Mercedes is the least of its issues, Frank."

Snorting and closing her door, Frank glanced around the lot for any threat before he climbed into the driver's seat and set off in the direction he remembered seeing options for food. It was around midnight but he was sure something would be open.

It turns out, small-town Indiana didn't have much in the way of all night diners. In fact, their options were Denny's, an option Frank ixnayed quickly, Waffle House or McDonald's. So they found themselves tucked into a corner, sole occupants of a garishly lit Waffle House. Not quite what Frank was hoping for but it would do. They both ordered some black coffee from the tired looking waitress and perused the menu in silence. 

Frank glanced up from time to time, noticing the way Karen's eyes moved over the options but never seemed to focus. He had so many questions for her but bit his tongue until they had both placed their orders. He’d made a mess of getting information out of her earlier so he needed to be patient. The waitress returned, taking their orders and topping off the coffee before yawning and returning behind the counter to help prepare it. 

Taking a drink of his coffee, which was surprisingly better than he anticipated, he watched Karen wrap her long fingers around her own mug, cupping it in both hands as if to steal the warmth into herself. She took a drink and let out a pleasured groan that nearly made Frank choke on his own drink before he struggled to pretend that little noise didn't send a shiver down his spine. Her voice was almost dreamy when she said, "Maybe it's the fact I've only had water since Friday morning but this is the best coffee I've had in awhile."

Huffing quietly he took another sip, "I'll admit I didn't have high hopes for it but it's better than I expected." Sweeping his eyes over the restaurant, Frank leaned in slightly, pinning Karen with his gaze. She met his eyes for a moment and he knew she could read the questions in his visage. They never really needed words to communicate, it's why he always ended up spilling his guts to her. She could read his every move, every emotion, without so much as a sound from him. Sighing she set her mug down, smiling up at their waitress when she arrived to distribute their meals.

Frank didn't press as she poured syrup over her chocolate chip waffles and he started in on his eggs. She would start when she was ready and he really was hungry. She took a few slow bites and a long draw from her coffee before starting.

"Wilson Fisk gave me an ultimatum." It was quiet enough that Frank stopped chewing for a second to listen. He swallowed, his trigger finger tapping a rhythm on his fork. He had really been hoping maybe Fisk was not the one after her. Maybe a small time crime boss? An old boyfriend? Someone that didn't have all of New York in their pocket?

He sat back, running a hand over his face and when she didn't continue he asked lowly, "What exactly was the ultimatum?" Frank knew it had to be extreme. Karen was not one to run from a fight no matter the threat to herself, much to his dismay. Which means her friends had been threatened.

Another slow bite of waffles followed before she cleared her throat, pushing the plate away, "He said if I stayed in the city, he would kill everyone I cared about. But...if I left, let him hunt me down, he would just kill me and leave them alone. I think the idea is that he makes it look completely unrelated to him, so that his deal with M-Daredevil remains intact when I turn up dead." Her tone grew quiet as she saw Frank's expressive face go completely still. 

For a moment, all Frank could feel was the sickening feeling he got when he thought about his family. The feeling of something he cared so deeply for slipping through his fingers forever. Futility was a bitter taste on the back of his tongue, Karen was supposed to be safe. That's why he distanced himself from her, so she could be safe. Was there really nothing he could do to keep the people he cared about from harm? Why the hell was the biggest Kingpin in New York out to get her? 

He gave a gruff, "Thank you, ma'am," when the waitress refilled his coffee and left their check. It took him another moment before he could form a response. "I still think you should have called Red. He's an idiot, sure, but he would have kept you safe. At least safer than being out here on your own." Karen scowled at him over her coffee. 

"I can take care of myself Frank. I told you, I'm done letting people get hurt because of me. The further away I am from the people I care about, the better. At least until I can figure out a plan." She gave him a pointed look as he tried not to think about the fact she lumped him in with the people she cared about, "Which is why, I am going to thank you for dinner, we are gonna go back to my room and YOU are gonna hit the road." 

"Is that right?" He gave a short laugh and a shake of his head, "I tracked you for two days across twice as many states to buy you dinner and then head on back to the city?" The smile fell from his lips, "That's ain’t gonna happen Karen. You don't get to make that call."

That, apparently, was not the right thing to say. Frank watched a cool mask of rage come over Karen’s face and wondered if he had just fucked it all up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I the only one that remembers watching infomercials when they were sick as a kid? If only I had a credit card back then..
> 
> Please feel free to let me know if there are any glaring typos!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Pretend I'm a Shelter for Heartaches That Don't Have a Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen is tired of Frank's hypocrisy and leaves him at the diner, intent on handling this situation herself. It doesn't take long for things to spiral out of control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***PLEASE READ FOR CHAPTER WARNING***  
> This chapter contains assault and attempted sexual assault. It is nothing very graphic but the intention is there so if this is something you are not comfortable with, please skip to the end notes for a synopsis of the chapter.

It was amazing, Karen had missed Frank incredibly since she last saw him, worried herself sick about him after she left the hospital. And yet, he had managed to infuriate her to an amazing degree twice in the span of just a couple of hours.

She felt her face heat with anger, how dare he take this decision from her. Karen let Frank make his decisions, as much as it hurt her to do so and he couldn’t even give her the same courtesy?

"Oh yeah? Just keeping up with your proclivity for double standards? Well YOU don't get to decide for me Frank. I didn't ask you to track me across anything, sorry you wasted your time.” She paused for a second, her eyes searing him with her fury as she thought carefully about her next words.

“When you asked me to walk away before, I listened,"  _ Not without fighting tooth and nail _ , she thought,  _ but that's beside the point _ . Karen's voice dropped low and harsh, "You don't have to ask me walk away this time." She pretended she didn't see hurt flash across his soulful eyes before she stood from the table. Pretended like just saying those words didn’t make her heart feel like it was being ripped out and now she had to back them up and actually leave.

His eyes followed her as she straightened and said softly, "Thanks for dinner Frank. Have a safe trip back." 

She was proud of how steady her voice was despite her throat closing around her anger and the fragments of her broken heart.

Karen turned on her heels and headed for the door. She heard his muttered curse but continued through the door and took off into the night, headed back to the motel on foot. Cutting behind the closed Dollar Store next door she tried to stick to the shadows as much as possible in the sparsely populated complex. Both trying to avoid being spotted in general but also to avoid one agitated marine.

Karen knew he meant well, it softened her anger towards him a little but he didn't get to force her out of his life only to pop up and tell her what she was going to do. Okay, so maybe her anger wasn't softened that much. She deliberately stayed off of the roads to avoid the van she was sure would be rolling by looking for her. Funny how being followed by a murder van driven by one of the most dangerous men in New York was a mere annoyance to her. 

Scoffing to herself at the thought, she walked through parking lots and side streets that ran parallel to the main road that brought them from the motel. It only took a few minutes for her to realize she didn't have her jacket and despite the pleasant temperature during the day, night was still pretty chilly. A shiver ran through Karen, making her gasp when it reminded her about the large bruise covering her side. It was to a point where she could forget about it until she moved just right. Turns out, shivering was 'just right' because the ache got deeper and more persistent. It occurred to her as well when she went to reach in and verify she had a room key, that she had also left her bag in the room. Frank showing up had completely thrown her off.

"Well this is going to be a long walk back. I should have made my point a little closer to my destination." She murmured wrapping her arms around herself.

Karen tried to walk a bit more briskly, hoping a faster pace would help warm her extremities some. The crunch of tires on road debris had her rolling her eyes, it hadn't taken him as long to find her as she thought. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for the coming storm, Karen turned to glare at Frank the best she could through her shivering but went suddenly still.

‘He’ had found her it would seem but it wasn't Frank. It was a normal looking silver sedan, nothing out of the ordinary for small town USA. The man who climbed out of the driver seat, however, was not a 2nd shifter headed home from work, try as he might to look casual. He was a large man, several inches taller than her and muscularly built and she really hoped he was just a good samaritan.

"Excuse me Miss, you look lost. Do you need some directions?" His voice seemed sincere, light and friendly, it made her pause for a second until she saw the glint of something in his waistband.

Putting as much casual pleasantness in her voice as she could, Karen waved a hand vaguely ahead, "Oh, that's very kind of you but I actually don't live too far from here. I'll be meeting up with my husband soon anyway, he usually meets me halfway!" She gave a blinding smile but didn't turn her back. If it really was a good samaritan, he would get back in his car and let her go but if it wasn't, she wasn't going to turn her back on him.

He took a step closer, causing her to take a step back and with a smile that was all predator he began pushing his jacket sleeves up his forearms, "Funny, the file didn't say anything about you being married. It didn't say how pretty you were either, though, which is even better." 

_ Well that answered that _ , Karen took off in a sprint, rounding the first corner she could to avoid any possible projectiles. She didn't hear any cracks of gunfire but she did hear footsteps behind her that sounded like they were covering much more ground than her. She cleared the next building and had an open parking lot between her and a small scrubby wooded area, if she could reach that she may be able to lose him. Pulling from her days in track she lengthened her stride and tried to regulate her breathing, ignoring how her heaving breaths made her ribs burn.  _ Lord don't let all those years of running be for nothing _ . 

As the sparse wooded area came closer, Karen felt like she might actually make it. Until a hand tangled in her hair, pulling her up short, knocking what wind she had left out of her lungs when she hit the pavement on her back. The man stepped into view so Karen wasted no time, lashing out with a long leg, kicking hard and hoping to land a blow to his groin. The kick landed but unfortunately it was only to his inner thigh. He let out a grunt only losing his footing for a second before landing a much more on target punch to her face.

Karen's cheek lit up with pain, her vision blurring. She was pretty sure the inside of her cheek got cut with the impact as well because she had the coppery taste of blood in her mouth. 

"Now, now," the man panted above her as began dragging her the rest of the way into the scrub trees by her hair, his voice was light, like he was amused by her struggle, like tracking someone down to murder them was just the every day norm. "Be a good bounty. No need to make something so inevitable so difficult. I promise we will have a good time before I put you out of everyone's misery." 

Ice cold fear gripped her spine at his tone. He didn't intend on just killing her and being done with it. Redoubling her efforts, Karen gripped the hand embedded in her hair doing her best to dig her nails into his wrist. Her other hand reached up until she felt his eye, digging her fingers in as much as she could there as well. The grip in her hair loosened just for a second while he cursed but then he was slamming her head into the ground causing the world around her to go black for a moment.

A weight on Karen’s ribs quickly brought her back around as the man straddled her hips and had heavy hands pushing her t-shirt up over her breasts. Karen let out a whimper but quickly started pushing at his face, an edge coming into her voice, "Don't touch me, motherfucker. I will fucking end you!"

He just laughed, pushing her hands away and pressing harder into her ribs. She did at least have the satisfaction of seeing blood running down his cheek. That evaporates quickly though, replaced by a sick feeling when he canted his hips so that she could feel just how much he was enjoying himself. His amusement was abruptly halted by the sickening crunch of his nose when Karen brought her elbow down onto it, baring her teeth and clenching her jaw against the pain that radiates up her arm from the impact. 

"Goddamnit! Stupid fucking bitch!" He landed another blow that had her arms falling to the sides of her head. Her vision was dark around the edges but she could see the blood running from the man's face and the rage burning in his eyes. She was only vaguely aware of his hands unlatching his belt. Her mind was screaming at her to move, to do something but her limbs would not cooperate, the panic bubbling up through the sludge of near unconsciousness just giving her enough energy to stay awake.

An inhuman yell echoed through the area before Karen felt the man move off of her. The fog was starting to clear from her vision but she still flinched when she heard the crack of gunshots. 

Looking in the direction she thought they had come from, she saw Frank fighting with the larger man, a power struggle for the gun. She had only managed to pull herself up to an elbow when she heard the sickening crunch of the man's wrist and before he could process the pain he had two bullets in his head and the rest of the magazine in his chest.

Karen shivered as she looked at Frank. Well, not quite Frank, at least not a side of him she had seen very often. She was looking at the Punisher, in all his wide eyed glory. He landed a kick to the side of the man's head for good measure, his breaths coming out in sharp bursts, his muscles coiled and ready for another attack. It only took a gasp from Karen as she tried to sit up to snap him back to himself.

"Karen!" he was kneeling at her side instantly, gently pushing her back. "Hey, hey, don't move, let me look ya over first." He started at her head, she hissed when he found the large bump on the back of her skull from where her assailant had bounced her head off of the ground. He skimmed over her cheekbones and down her arms, looking for broken bones. He stilled, quiet rage building in his eyes, his jaw clenching as he saw her shirt pushed up over her breasts. His hand was scorching hot against her chilled flesh as he ran his calloused hand lightly over her watercolor ribs.

Karen placed her hand over his on her side when she saw his rage start to bleed into torment. He met her eyes quickly. She spoke quiet but firm, "That was from before I left New York. This isn't on you Frank, none of it." She could tell he wanted to argue but settled for pulling her shirt down and quickly stripping his jacket off. Gingerly he helped Karen sit up and thread her arms through the much too large garment.

Voice low and ragged he gently pulled her to her feet, "The van is just up the embankment over there. We will get back to the room to get your stuff and then we need to leave." 

She made a grunt of acknowledgement, doing her best not to let the pain show too much on her face as they moved up the hill to the waiting van. They were closer to the main road than she had realized but it still felt like an eternity as they made their way up the embankment. Frank had pulled the van hastily to the shoulder, presumably after seeing the struggle below. 

Quickly, he bundled her up in the van before pulling back onto the deserted road to her motel room. Her shivering was starting to subside, his residual warmth in the jacket seeping into her bones. Karen took a deep breath, breathing in Frank's scent of gunsmoke and leather and with a sigh she realized how incredibly tired she was. Karen felt his eyes on her frequently and held his gaze for a while but before long she rested her head against the window and shut her eyes until the van eased to a stop.

\---

Frank had slammed the ticket and money on the counter as quickly as he could but when he stepped outside it's like Karen had vanished into ether. Cursing louder this time, he stepped around the sides of the building hoping she had just stepped out to cool down.

The woman was infuriating. Karen was so goddamn headstrong, so damn stubborn and despite his rising frustration and unease he begrudgingly had to admit she had a right to be angry. It really wasn’t fair of him to push her away so strongly only to pop into her life when he saw fit but also, there was no way he could leave her to be hunted down. Just another example of her showing him she wasn't going to take his shit. Karen matched him blow for blow in so many ways. 

However, if she got herself hurt to prove a point to him, he was going to kill her. Or at least give her a very stern talking-to. Right after he ensures there isn't a scratch on her and she is safe.

He crossed the lot, wrenching the van door open and hopping into the driver seat. She couldn't have gone too far, so he looped around a couple of buildings before getting back on the main road. He suspected she would not be out in the open so he scanned the surrounding area as he slowly rolled through. Thankfully there wasn't any traffic out, the less prying eyes the better.

Frank stopped abruptly, there was a car parked on an access road to his right. The lights were on and the driver's side door wide open. It had been about 10 minutes since he last saw her, there was no way she could be in trouble already...right? Who was he kidding, Karen was a shit magnet, trouble could find her at the drop of a hat. 

He sped up a bit, dividing his attention between the road ahead of him and the access road to the side. It opened up into an empty parking lot that, for a second, had Frank thinking maybe the car had been a false alarm after all. 

Movement caught his eye at the edge of the parking lot in a copse of trees. He saw a flash of blonde under a large man's hands as he was beating her head against the ground. Instinct took over before Frank had a second thought, the rage that fueled him blooming out from his chest and he pulled the van to the shoulder, slamming it in park with his sidearm in hand in a matter of seconds. He heard her beautiful voice spitting venom at the man on top of her and his heart stuttered in his chest knowing she was conscious and fighting back. The man's back was mostly to him but the angle of the embankment prevented Frank from having a clear shot. He didn't want to risk the bullet passing through him into Karen, so he holstered the gun and took off at a sprint. He saw her elbow come down and the man's answering punch and he was nearly mad with the fury from it but the world bled to crimson when he saw the man reaching for his own belt, a sadistic smile on his face.

Extreme military training and his current lifestyle allowed Frank to operate on near autopilot when he pulled Karen's assailant off of her. He barely felt the few blows the man got in on him and didn't flinch when he broke the man's wrist after a brief struggle, taking the gun and ending him with two shots to the head and 5 more in his chest for good measure. Everything was still tinged red, each breath raked his throat raw as Frank tried to rein himself in before he kicked the man in the head. 

A pained gasp behind him brought the world back into full color and sharp focus and Frank was kneeling before Karen before he had time to blink. He thinks he said her name, he isn't sure, "Hey, hey, don't move, let me look ya over first."

There was a large goose egg on the back of her head, he would have to watch her for concussion. He skimmed his fingers over the delicate bones of her face, there was swelling but he didn't feel anything broken. He noticed blood gathered at the corner of her mouth, hopefully no broken teeth. As his hands smoothed down her arms he noticed her shirt had been pushed up over her bra and her side was a mix of blues and purples he was used to seeing on himself but would do anything to prevent ever seeing on Karen again. Rage and nausea hit him at the implications of what was about to happen.

_ Asshole, you had to be an asshole and chase her off. This wouldn't have happened if you weren't such a prick _ ...Frank was brought out of his thoughts by her hand resting firmly on his. He hadn't even realized he had reached out to touch the large bruise. Her voice was small but laced with steel, "That was from before I left New York. This isn't on you Frank, none of it."

He wanted to tell her how wrong she was but the way she was looking at him made the words stick in his throat.

Frank was pretty sure there wasn't a heaven or hell but if angels existed, Karen Page had to be a prime example. She never gave up on her crusade to redeem him and it blew him away every time. He glanced quickly over at the man with his broken nose and what looked like scratches by his eye before he looked back at her and saw hellfire in her eyes. Yeah, an angel of truth and retribution, burning the guilt out of every sinner. They'd build monuments to her one day.

Shaking himself out of that line of thought he tugged her shirt down gently and noticing her tremor he was out of his jacket in seconds. It felt like an eternity before he had her safely in the van, tucking the man's gun into a bag behind the center console before taking off in the direction of the motel. Every time he glanced at her he was met with her steady gaze but the final time he noticed she had closed her eyes to rest her head against the glass. He tried not to let his worry influence his driving. The last thing they needed was to be pulled over, both had blood splatter on them, she was beat to hell and there were numerous illegal guns in the back.

He pulled slowly into the spot closest to her room, leaning over and resting a gentle hand on her leg, "Hey," he spoke softly to not startle her and it took a second for her eyes to focus on his, "We're here. Let's go get you cleaned up and grab your stuff, yeah?" 

She nodded and started to open the door and slide out but Frank was at her side in a second, a solid wall for her to lean into as they made their way to her door. He had the key inserted, cleared the room and ushered her inside before she had much chance to think, laying her back on the springy mattress. 

Once he was sure it was as secure as it was going to be, Frank ran back out to the van to grab his first aid kit. He didn't think any of her injuries would require stitches but a cold compress would be good to keep the swelling down on her face. He took a quick second to change his clothes, tossing the blood stained outfit in a bag. Karen was still laying down when he came back and made a line for the sink to find something to wipe the blood from her face. She gave him a wan smile as he sat down beside her with a warm wet washcloth and began gently wiping away the blood.

Standing, Frank went back to the sink to grab a paper cup, filling it with tepid water from the faucet before stepping back and handing it to Karen.

"Here, you can rinse your mouth with this.” She took the cup, draining the contents with no protests, wincing slightly when she sloshed it around her mouth and spitting it back in the cup. Frank gave the barest nod as he set the cup aside, “Open up, let me see where that blood is coming from." He cupped her chin gently as she opened her mouth. "I don't see any broken teeth, looks like you cut the inside of your cheek pretty good though. Gonna be hell eating anything on that side for a while." 

She gave a little huff as he let her go and handed her another cup full of clean water to drink.

Stepping over to her bag, he handed it to her, "Gonna wanna change, looks like there is just some blood on your shirt."

Karen didn't question anything, just dug around in her bag to find a different top. Frank busied himself taking out her other things, listening for any sign she might need help. Once she was resettled, he placed one compress to the back of her skull and had her lay back on it and instructed her to alternate the other one on each side of her face while he took her remaining things out, throwing her shirt in the same bag as his sullied clothes to be disposed of.

Before he stood up though, Frank looked her in the eye that wasn't covered with an ice pack and ground out a quiet, "I'm not goin' anywhere Karen."

He saw her lip twitch slightly before she laid her hand gently on the side of his face, running her thumb over his strong cheekbone. He saw moisture gathering in her eyes and just as quietly she rasped, "I know."

Frank leaned into her cool hand, leaving a soft kiss on her palm before moving off the bed. He tried to pretend he couldn't still feel her hand on his face. Tried not to feel how her touch was seared into his flesh. He tried, he failed. Frank felt like if he looked into the mirror he would see exactly where her hand had been, a red brand on his skin where she had caressed him.

It didn't take long for him to have the van loaded up with her meager belongings. He set up the small cot he kept in the back for stakeouts, cursing when he realized he just had one threadbare blanket. Frank walked quickly back into the room, gathering up the blanket bunched up around Karen, carrying it out with one of the spare pillows. Frank felt Karen's curious gaze on him as he absconded with the laundry but she didn’t say anything. She was sitting on the edge of the bed when he came back in to retrieve her. Her cheek was swollen and he could see bruising starting around both of her beautiful eyes. Each developing color and injury marring her skin was another monumental failure on his part. He catalogued every one of them. When he was able to get his hands on Wilson Fisk, he would be sure he got each bruise in turn. Before he died of course.

Without a word, he offered her his hand, pulling her gently to her feet. She gave a small grateful smile before heading out the door. Frank could tell she was trying to keep her shoulders straight but he could see her favoring her ribs. He would need to look closer at those when they had a chance to stop.

He stopped her as she started for the passenger side door, "I set up a cot in the back, why don't you start there. It'll give you a chance to rest and keep ice on those bruises." Karen opened her mouth to argue, he already knew what it would be,  _ 'I'm fine. I don't need rest _ .' 

Frank doesn't like to plead but desperate times and all that...he rested a gentle hand on her shoulder and pleadingly, "Please, Karen." He knew those words would have an affect on her, they always do. With a sigh, she gingerly climbed into the back managing a small exasperated look as she went. Her long legs looked a bit cramped on the small cot but before long she was settled in, cold compresses back in place.

Wasting no time, Frank slid the door shut and rounded the van. Glancing back from his spot in the driver's seat, he isn't surprised to see that Karen is already asleep. Double checking that there was plenty of gas in the vehicle and his firearm was tucked in the door, Frank pulled out of the parking lot. Before long he was on the interstate, heading West and dialing David to see about getting a safe house secured. It only rang once before a familiar voice answered.

" _ Did you find her _ ?" David's voice was urgent, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Yeah. Yeah I got her with me. Listen Lieberman, I've already involved you too much but I nee-,"

" _ Need a place to stay? Yeah I figured, I've been working on getting something set up while you looked _ ." Frank heard the tell-tale clicking of a keyboard in the background as the hacker's fingers worked deftly. " _ I have a couple places lined out: Illinois, South Dakota and Colorado. What are you thinking _ ?"

Frank shook his head, as much as David drove him crazy, the man was incredibly intuitive and efficient. He just hoped he wouldn't get him and his family involved in any shit.

" _ Hey, Earth to Frank, stop with the brooding and answer the question _ ."

"Fuck you Lieberman. Colorado, send me the info and then get off the grid. Don't get yourself into any shit trying to help me."

" _ Yeah, yeah, sure thing. I'll get it to you soon. _ " There was a pause, " _ How is she?" _

Frank stayed silent for a moment, then quietly so he didn't wake her, "She's pretty beat up." He finished with a growl, "A couple guys got to her before I could stop them." 

Another moment of silence. 

"She's tough though, she put up a hell of a fight. She even tried to send me home once I found her, said she didn't need me." Amusement laced his tone, then he realized just how quiet David was on the other end of the line.

"Oh fuck off Lieberman. Don't start that shit. Just send me the information and go spend time with your family or somethin'."

There was a smile in David's voice and no small amount of smugness. There was no way to miss the affection in Frank's voice when he talked about Karen. 

" _ Yeah, alright, it's sent. Try following the route I outlined, it will be easier for me to track you and make sure you don't have a tail. I've got channels open for any mention of Karen here in New York. You kids just relax and have a good time. Don't do anything I wouldn-.. _ " Frank hangs up the phone and tosses into the passenger seat before David can finish.

A muttered, "Asshole." Was all he said before settling in for a long trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> ***Synopsis***
> 
> Karen takes off out of the diner, leaving Frank behind. Before he can catch up to her, one of Fisk's men finds her.
> 
> Karen fights back, Frank ultimately kills the attacker and then contacts Micro to find a safe house for them.


	4. Choose the Words That Cut Like a Razor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen and Frank are on the run, just trying to make it to their safe house but it isn't long before trouble catches up with them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allusion to torture in this one. Nothing too graphic.
> 
> Finally have the final chapter written! I'll probably tweak it a bit as I am not totally happy with it yet but it's a start! That being said, I may be able to release chapters a little faster now that I have the end mostly squared away.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!

Karen woke to swaying and thought for a minute she had spent too much time at Josie's with Matt and Foggy again. She waited for the usual nausea to settle in along with her headache but when it didn't, she cracked her eyes open. Well....as much as the swelling would allow.  _ Oh yeah. Someone dribbled my head like a basketball, how could I forget. _

She sat up with a groan, catching Frank's eyes in the rear view mirror. His voice was rough from disuse, "Just in time, I was about to pull over for some gas and grub. How're ya feeling?"

A quick assessment, "Shit. I feel like shit. But I could use a pit stop." 

His answering chuckle warmed her a bit before she felt the vehicle begin to decelerate on the off ramp. Slowly she moved herself to the passenger seat as Frank followed the flow of traffic before turning into a truck stop. Once he had pulled up to a pump he stared at Karen with quiet contemplation. 

She was starting to feel nervous about what he was thinking when he finally spoke, "I don't suppose you packed any make-up on your way out?"

Karen raised her eyebrows, then quickly stopped when it stretched her swollen skin, "Damn, Frank. I look that rough? Give a girl a break, it's hard to remember luxuries like make-up when you're on the lam." Shock registered on his face followed by regret and before he could start back-tracking he saw the taunting smile on her face.

His panic receded a bit as he gave a rueful shake of his head, "I figured it would be easier to blend in if we could cover some of the bruising on your face."

"You're right, however, no such luck. You have a spare hat by chance?"

Instead of answering he pulled the hat he had been wearing when he showed up at her motel off of the dashboard and unceremoniously dropped it on her head, pulling it low over her face. Karen just kept acquiring the man's clothes. First his jacket, now his hat. Maybe next it will be his shirt....that instantly put an image of Frank shirtless just wearing jeans in her mind. If she looked in the mirror she was sure she had turned a lovely shade of red, if Frank noticed, he didn't say anything.

Without his hat she noticed that his hair was close to the usual military cut but he had let it grow out a bit on the top. She could tell he was anxious to shave by the way he absently scratched over the scruff on his cheek. He really didn't look all that different than the last time she saw him lying in the hospital bed, sans all the bruises and cuts of course. 

"I'll fill up the tank then we can run in for something to drink and some food. If you're feeling up to it, I was going to pull around to the truck parking and catch some shut eye for a couple of hours. Sound alright to you?" Weariness laced his voice and when she really got a good look at him she could see just how tired he was. Lord knows the last time the man slept. 

"Yeah, that works for me. You could use some make-up for those bags under your eyes, Mr. Castle." She smirked at his snort and as he climbed out of the van.

"I don't think they have my shade, Ms. Page." 

It didn't take long for him to pump the gas and then they were venturing into the station in search of food and a restroom. Karen did her best to keep her head down and mostly relied on Frank's guidance so she didn't bump into anyone. First stop was the restroom much to her relief. Once she was finished she took a good look at herself in the mirror.

"Damn....I do look rough." One eye was swollen half closed while the other was just a little puffy. Both however, were turning dark blue around her temple and under her eyes from bruising. Her hair was stringy and limp and she was paler than she had been in a very long time. It was reminiscent of her drug dealing days which did not put her in a good mood. Splashing some cold water on her face she replaced Frank's hat and ventured out of the bathroom. He was waiting diligently at the corner and gave her a small nod when she stopped at his side.

She got a few pitying looks from patrons but otherwise was left alone. It didn't take them long to grab a couple of drinks and snacks. She opted for some chips and a couple of candy bars while Frank grabbed some jerky and gummy worms. Karen hid a small smile behind the brim of the hat when she saw that particular selection. She enjoyed learning the little, inconsequential facts about Frank. Like, if he needed to be bribed with junk food...gummy worms were a sure bet.

"We'll stop and get some real food as we get a little further down the road, I'd still like to get more distance between us and the city." He was leaning in and speaking quietly in her ear as they waited in the queue, his breath warm against her neck and ear. Even beat to hell she was still incredibly conscious of her attraction to Frank and honestly, it was incredibly frustrating. She nodded faintly trying to focus on the ache in her face and not his proximity. 

When it was their turn, Karen noticed that the cashier kept giving Frank sideways glances then looking at her with a concerned frown. She smiled sweetly at the man hoping that he understood that Frank would probably throw himself in front of the bus before harming her. He seemed put at ease, if even a little bit, as he bagged up their snacks, sending them on their way with a, "Have a nice day!".

Frank's eyes were scanning the lot as they walked back to the van, noting every car that had changed at the pumps. It always amazed Karen how natural and casual he was about it. If it were anyone else looking they would think he was just looking around on the way back to his vehicle. She knew he was cataloging every detail of every person or car they passed.

He pulled them around to the back of the truck stop where several semis were parked for rest, stifling a yawn as he put the van in park. Taking a long drink out of a bottle of water and resting his head against the headrest Frank rolled his head over to look at her. His voice was gravely with exhaustion, "How are you feeling?"

Karen wanted to run her fingers over his brow bone to smooth out the worried lines that developed there the more he took in her damaged face.

"I'm fine, just a little achy. I think the ice packs helped keep most of it from getting too bad." She said.

Nodding, Frank moved from the driver's seat to the back of the van reaching for the first aid kit. He pulled out two small white pills and handed them to her. "Over the counter pain meds. It won't completely get rid of the pain but it will take the edge off."

When he started to move back to the front, Karen placed a hand on his chest, she felt the muscles there shifting under her hand and had to concentrate to keep the waver out of her voice.

"Where do you think you're going? I thought we were pulling back here so you could rest for a bit?"

He scowled but didn't push past her hand, "Yeah, I was going to lay the seat back."

Before he could finish his sentence Karen was shaking her head, "No, lay on the cot and get some actual rest. I'm feeling much more awake since I got to sleep and have some food. I'll keep an eye on everything and let you know if I see anything strange."

Frank hesitated a moment, wanting to argue. However, his decision was made for him when another yawn forced its way past his lips. He gave a grunt to Karen's amused look before pulling her .380 from her bag. He quickly checked it over to ensure the magazine was full and there was one in the chamber. Clicking the safety in place he handed it to Karen then settled into the cot. It took approximately 30 seconds before she heard light snoring from the back. 

Grateful that he was actually getting some rest, Karen leaned her seat back just a bit and scanned the lot, taking note of every truck parked back there and quietly munching on her chips. Salt stung the cut in her cheek and she cursed quietly to herself. Frank was right, it was going to be hell eating for a while. 

An hour went by and there was very little in the way of traffic so she pulled her laptop, which had been thoughtfully stored by the passenger seat, into her lap. She tapped out some thoughts she had on places to start digging once she could. She would glance up periodically to note any changes in their surroundings and then throw herself back into her research. The sooner she could find something else on Fisk the more likely she could go home. The sooner her friends wouldn't be in danger.

Before she knew it another two hours had passed and she had put together some theories. Her eyes were starting to ache in earnest so she closed her laptop and pulled out one of the candy bars. Karen had just taken the first bite when she caught sight of a man hanging close to the corner of the building. He was leaning casually but his eyes kept tracking back to the van with a little too much interest. Acting as natural as possible, Karen looked off in the other direction, feigning interest in the truck that was pulling in. When she scanned back over the man was outright staring.

Quietly, without looking back, Karen put as much urgency into her voice as she could, "Frank." 

He jerked up, bleary eyed for only a second before he asked roughly, "What is it?"

"I think we are being watched. There is a man at the corner of the building, he's been looking this way pretty intently for the past 15 minutes. I haven't seen him make any phone calls but he has been texting pretty frequently when he isn't looking this way." She made a casual gesture, as if she were just fixing her hair to indicate the direction she meant. 

Frank peered through the gap between the driver seat and the door post, and sure enough, the man was staring right at them.

"Fuck." With a calmness that belayed his obvious adrenaline he climbed back up behind the steering wheel and took a drink of his water. Karen noticed the man went back to looking at his phone, acting like just another bystander when Fran came into view.

"I'm going to go in and act like I'm taking a piss. I'll double around and see if I can verify he's after us. Keep that gun in your hand. If someone that isn't me tries to open one of the doors you put a bullet in him, you got that?" From the outside he probably looked as though he was discussing the weather or what route they should take. Being in the van with him though, Karen heard the seriousness in his command.

When she didn't answer right away, he leaned in, "I mean it Karen, don't hesitate."

"Yeah, I got it. Just....don't get yourself hurt. You got that?" She threw his words back at him. 

With a brusque nod and a quick, "Yes, Ma'am" he was out of the van and heading for the back door of the rest stop. He moved casually, all of the urgency from a moment ago seemed to seep out of him. He looked like he just woke up from a nap and was going in to relieve himself, not like he was stalking a potential threat. Karen watched him disappear through the door but continued to watch the strange man from the corner of her eye. No sooner did the door close behind Frank, the man looked around and started heading towards the van. 

She tried to keep her breathing even as she took the safety off of the .380. She saw flashes of James Wesley across her vision, making her hands shake. She didn't want to kill anyone else but she refused to leave Frank with the guilt of her death, because he would blame himself, so she made sure all of the doors were locked and climbed into the back of the van. 

Settling into a defensible position, the cot between her and the sliding door, Karen fought down her nausea and waited. Despite knowing it was coming, she still jumped when someone pulled at the handles before pounding on the door. Looking at the passenger door a chill came over her when she saw the man staring through the window at her. He sneered and tried the sliding door.

An accented voice filtered through the metal, "C'mon little bird. I just want to have a little chat." She snarled, saying nothing, and pointed the gun at the door. Her heart rate picked up when she heard him messing with the door lock. She could feel every beat of her heart in her swollen face. 

There was a loud thump against the door and a moment later it was sliding open. Karen raised the gun and was ready to fire but Frank was there holding up a hand. "You can put it down, I got him." When she didn't lower the gun, Frank spoke a bit more softly, "Karen, it's alright." Slowly she lowered the weapon, taking a deep breath.

Before she could completely recover though, Frank was tossing the man's unconscious body into the van. "Frank what the fuck?" She whispered harshly. It was that or yell at the top of her lungs, she really didn't have the capacity for an in between at the moment.

He just stepped in as well, closing the door behind him before efficiently binding the man's hands with zip ties. He pulled out of one of the many bags surrounding them and Karen watched in morbid fascination as he trussed the man up and secured him to a hook that had been welded to the floor. She tried to keep her voice steady, "Frank, what are you doing?" 

He pulled more things from various bags, pliers, a few small knives and what she thought might be wire cutters. He didn't answer her as he continued to dig, laying out various instruments. She made her voice more firm, gripping his upper arm, "Frank." Finally he turned to her in the cramped space, looking almost shocked that she was there. She repeated herself, "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna get answers out of him." His voice was deadly, pitched low and brokering no room for argument. "I need you to drive us out of here while I take care of this."

"Why don't we just leave him here, unconscious. He won't be able to follow us then. We could drop him somewhere, still tied up. It would give us a chance to lose him or anyone that is with him." She said pleadingly.

Frank glared at her, stepping closer, "He was here to kill you Karen. I'm not gonna to let that happen. I'm gonna find out if he's alone, where his orders are coming from and then I'm going to kill him."

She grabbed his arm again when he turned back and forced him to look at her, "I don't want you killing him for me, Frank. He was trying to break into the van, yes, but he hadn't hurt me." Frank cursed and ran a rough hand over his hair.

"He is the second one in just over a day. He was going to kill you, Karen, how can you not see that? Probably torture you, just like the last one was going to do. I'm not letting him live and I'm not arguing with you over it." His voice was hard but his eyes were pleading with her to just drive. To let him handle this the only way he knew how.

Karen stared at him a moment longer. She wanted to push harder, hating the fact that Frank would have more blood on his hands because of her but he was right, they had found her again really quickly and experience told her that arguing with him while he had that look in his eyes would go nowhere. If her and Frank were going to have any time to breathe, they needed answers. Squaring her shoulders as best she could in the crowded back of the van, she gave a small nod, moving to the front. She adjusted the seat and mirrors, started the engine and began to pull out of the lot.

"Which direction am I going?" Over the clanking coming from behind her she heard a gruff 'West' and followed the signs until she was back on the interstate.

They had been back on the road for a few minutes when she heard a pained groan. She flinched when it quickly escalated to a cut off scream. Karen's knuckles turned white on the steering wheel but she held the van steady, stuck to the speed limit and focused on the road. She could hear Frank talking but couldn't make out what he was saying. It was hard to hear anything past the blood rushing in her ears. 

Another punctuated scream followed by a rush of words Karen couldn't quite understand. The wet smack of a fist meeting flesh filtered through the air. The next several minutes were a mix of sickening sounds, screams and Frank's low voice. The air became thick with the smell of blood. She risked glancing into the rearview mirror but could only see Frank hunched over the man. Karen looked back to the road only to glance back into the mirror a second later. She realized she was crying. 

_ Get it together, Karen. We don't have time for this weepy bullshit _ . She quickly wiped the tears away and redoubled her efforts to focus on the road. It seemed like an eternity but eventually Frank was sliding into the passenger seat, the back of the van completely silent. 

His voice was matter of fact when he finally spoke, "He was looking for you because of some contract. He said he didn't know who set it up but the price keeps getting higher." He gave her a sidelong look, "The contract said to make it as painful as possible." 

Karen's heart seized but she kept her eyes on the road and kept her face impassive. She is sure Frank could see straight through her but it made her feel better to put on a brave face.

Frank continued, "I have his phone, he was texting an unknown number. It mentioned the first person to take the contract was found dead. So it went to him next. It looks like they are only sending out one person at a time for now, which is a positive I guess." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Taking a deep breath she forced her voice to be steady, "Okay, so what now?" 

He watched her carefully for a moment before telling her to pull off at the next exit. "I saw signs for a forestry not far from here. We can dump the body there. Someone will find it but we will be long gone by then."

They drove for a while longer until they were pretty far off the interstate and surrounded by trees. It was dusk and Frank suggested that they wait until full dark before taking the man out. He still hadn't made a sound. Karen pulled off on a small shoulder and turned to look at Frank. His knuckles were bruised and there was blood under his nails.

"Karen." She looked up from his hands. "I couldn't let him get another shot at you." His eyes were so earnest, pleading with her to understand.

She gave him a watery smile, her voice quiet, "I know. I get it Frank. I may not agree with it but I get it."

He stared at her a moment, several emotions crossing his features before he gave a small nod and moved to the back. Karen sat there a moment longer trying to decipher the emotion she had seen flicker across his face. It occurred to her that they were going to have to talk about the last time they saw each other at some point. She saw a lot of things on his face that day. Things that kept her up at night wishing she could know what he was going to do next. They were going to have to figure out what they were to each other. But first....they were going to have to ditch a body.


	5. Take Your Best Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen and Frank dump a body. And then get burgers.

Frank couldn't believe he was trussing up a body to ditch with Karen. How the fuck was this his life now? He felt like a piece of shit as she helped him drag the man up a hill to a ravine he had scoped out about an hour ago. This was why he couldn't be around her. He was tainting her life, the darkness he lived in snuffing out her light. 

Once this was all over and she was safe, he had to stay away from her. He managed it for a year and half so he could do it permanently next time. 

Maybe next time he won't walk by her apartment building to see her light on. Maybe next time he won't find the new Nelson, Murdock and Page office and see her leave from time to time. Which led to him following her, to make sure she made it home okay. Maybe he would stop being such a sad sack of shit when it comes to her and focus on his mission.

Maybe next time he won't lie to himself.

They were both breathing pretty hard when they reached the top and unceremoniously shoved the body so it skidded down the slope out of sight. 

Both stared down the hill where the body disappeared for a moment before Frank broke the silence, "Hungry?"

Karen glanced at him, then back down the hill. Then broke into a fit of borderline hysterical giggles. She was trying to stifle them but it only ended up making her laugh harder. Frank was concerned for a second that maybe she was having a breakdown. I mean, she hadn't dealt with a dead body before. Not personally at least. She wasn't like him.

She must have seen his face because she tried to calm her laughter, "I'm not losing it Frank. It was just such a domestic thing to ask in a decidedly not domestic situation." She smiled at him like he wasn't a monster, lips quirked at one corner and eyes soft.

Frank gave her a lopsided grin, charmed despite his turmoil and looked down at his feet. "What can I say, I'm a practical man."

Another bubble of laughter escaped her but it cut short with a gasp, her hand shooting up to rest on her ribs. Frank was at her side in second but she just held up a hand, "I'm fine, it's just the bruise on my ribs, if I move just right it flares up a bit. I'm okay." 

Fuck. He had forgotten about her ribs. Karen hid her injuries well, she hadn't made a single noise or complaint about the garrish bruise he had seen the previous night. She was a survivor, careful not to show weakness.

Gripping her hand as he started to descend the hill, Frank held her steady so she didn't fall. They made it to the van without incident and he slid the back door open, instructing her to sit while he dug out a flashlight. 

“Frank, I really am fine.” Karen insisted when he stood in front of her expectantly, flashlight in hand. 

He didn’t say anything, just held an even stare on her until Karen released a resigned sigh and pulled her shirt up until the bruise was visible. Kneeling, Frank turned the flashlight so he could see clearly in the darkness. The bruise was all dark purples and blues in the center but the edges were starting to take on the sickly yellow and green hue that indicated healing.

With a careful hand, Frank pressed around on the injury, sympathetic to her occasional wince. Rib injuries were never pleasant. Spreading his palm over her skin, he instructed her to take a deep breath. There was a slight hitch at the height of her inhale from discomfort but otherwise, everything seemed normal, no unnatural shifting of the bones.

“Looks like they are just bruised. Still, don’t pick up anything too heavy, it’s hard to tell without an x-ray if there is a fracture.” Frank spoke quietly, his voice a low rumble in the silence. He couldn’t take his eyes away from his hand where it laid over her torso. His large, scarred hand with blood under his nails and in his cuticles and her smooth skin, covered in a watercolor of pain. What a pair they made. Absently his thumb stroked the healing skin at the edges of the bruise.

When he did manage to tear his gaze away and meet her eyes, hand dropping quickly, she was looking at him fondly.

“I told you it was fine.” It was nearly a whisper in the dark.

He didn’t bother to answer, just nodded and helped her to her feet, watching carefully as she climbed into the passenger side. Frank settled into the driver seat once more and Karen leaned the passenger seat back a bit to ease the pressure on her side.

Once he saw she was buckled in, Frank pulled back on the road. The ride was silent, both lost in their own thoughts. As they got close to the interstate, he pulled them into a drive thru. There was a line so he took the time to get the rest of the blood off of his hands. He wasn't a huge fan of fast food but they didn't have much of a choice at this point, both were disheveled and tired and still very much on the run. There was a quick back and forth on what to order and before long they were at the window, Frank passing the food over to her, settling their drinks into the cup holders and getting back on their route to the hideout.

Karen distributed the food like they had done this a hundred times before. She unwrapped his burger partially and handed it to him, set up his fries in an easily accessible place before digging into her own meal. Frank was struck at how ordinary it was. They had just dumped a body down a ravine and now she was handing him his food out of a bag while they hit the road. They could have been any couple on a road trip. Besides the 'dumping a body' part and the fact they weren't a couple.

They chatted about random things while they ate, both carefully steering clear of what had just transpired. They discussed their favorite place to get a burger back in New York, Frank argued her choice was too mainstream. She gaped at him for a moment before mumbling something about 'hipster Frank and his fancy burgers'. They talked about where to get the best coffee, that one at least they could agree on. When Karen made an offhanded comment about coffee being the one constant in her life in a wry tone, he shook his head at her with a huff and....it was nice. He and Karen didn't often get to have normal banter, without the blood and bullets. He found he craved more of it.

"So where are we going exactly? If we are going West, I'm assuming we aren't headed back to New York." Karen asked as she popped a couple fries in her mouth and waited for his answer.

Frank finished chewing the last bite of his burger, balling the wrapper in his hand before he answered. "Lieberman set us up a safe house in Colorado. That will give you some time to recover and we can start planning how we handle it when we do head back." He threw his wrapper into the bag at Karen's feet and took a couple fries for himself. It took him a moment to realize he had said 'we'. How quickly he forgets the loner stuff once Karen is involved. 

If she notices his concession, she didn't say, just cocks her head curiously, "Lieberman? David Lieberman? The guy who had you so spooked back in the day?"

Nodding, Frank tossed his now empty fry box, "That's the one. He's back from the grave and with his family. He may be annoying as all hell but he's a good one to have in your corner." There was grudging respect in his tone.

A few pointed questions from Karen had Frank filling her in on what happened from the point he left her in the hotel elevator to what happened at the carousel with Billy. He could tell she had already put most of it together herself but she listened intently and asked questions here and there. Hearing about how Billy set him up at the carousel with the hostages from his own perspective had her horrified. He glanced over and saw a wet trail on her cheek. His voice was soft, "It's over now. I took care of it."

She swiped at her eyes angrily, voice full of indignation on his behalf, "Yes, but you shouldn't have had to. It's so fucked up what he did. He deserved everything you did to him and more." 

He wasn't sure what to do with her being upset on his behalf. It touched him but he had no idea how to make her feel better so he just reached over giving her forearm a light squeeze.

Karen gave an amused huff, resting her hand on his, "You're not supposed to be comforting me, you were the one who went through all the shit."

Frank allowed the warmth from her hand to soak into his skin for a moment before pulling away and putting the hand back on the steering wheel. He didn’t have the guts to tell her that her presence was always a comfort to him.

"I handled it Karen, you don't have to be upset for me."

“Somebody should be after the shit you’ve been through.” The words were quiet and angry but not completely directed at him. He wasn’t sure how to respond.

After a moment he tried to steer the conversation in a safer direction. He coaxed out of her what it was like being a part of a law firm, "So what's it like being a big fancy lawyer now?" She didn't even act surprised that he knew she made a career change.

"I'm a PI actually, turns out it takes a lot of school and debt to become a lawyer and it's not my schtick anyway." She gave him a smile. "Matt and Foggy do most of the court stuff, I do the nitty gritty digging." Her smile turned mischievous, "You know, pressuring politicians and slum lords to repent or go to prison for their evil ways."

Frank sniffed with a bit of a smile, "Running around getting yourself into a world of trouble you mean?"

She feigned offense before shrugging, "Same difference. Anyway, we are currently working out of the back of Foggy's family butcher shop. At first the smell of salami was endearing but, believe it or not, it wears on you after awhile. I've had quite a number of neighborhood dogs following me home, I must smell delicious." Karen gave a soft chuckle, fondness and pride filling her words, "We should be able to move into an actual office soon, which will be nice."

Frank saw her stifle a yawn, kicking her chair back a little further. They talked a bit about some of her recent cases and how Frank fills his spare time but before long he noticed her voice was getting softer at the edges and fading at the end of her sentences. Eventually he glanced over to see an arm tucked under her head, a leg propped against the door and her lips slightly open in a silent snore. Frank wished they could stop so she could get some actual rest in a comfortable bed but they needed to get to their destination first.

Catching the last bounty hunter and ditching him should buy them some time to disappear, then they could both recuperate a bit. He bit out his own yawn, turning the radio on low to keep himself alert. 

They had covered quite a bit of ground, the sky turning a faint pink at the edges when Karen suddenly jerked in her seat, coming awake with a gasp. Frank glanced at her when he could, watching as she heaved in breaths, eyes wide.

"Hey, you alright?" He knew a nightmare when he saw one. There was still rarely a night that he made it to morning without coming awake in a panic. He watched as her breathing started to even out and she ran a shaky hand through her hair. 

"Uh...yeah. I'm fine. Just....bad dreams." She sat her chair up stretching her legs out a bit and reaching for a candy bar.

"If you need to talk about it, I'll listen. I've had my fair share of nightmares." His voice was low as he gave her an understanding look.

Karen looked startled for a second before giving him a warm smile. She didn't say anything but their eyes met briefly, a show of solidarity that didn't require any words.

The rest of the trip was uneventful for being on the run. They pulled up outside of a ski resort condo in Colorado the next day, looking to be the only tenants in that section of the building. Karen had been exclaiming over the beautiful mountains and lakes they passed along the way, causing Frank to make a mental note to take her out to see more once her bruising had healed a bit and he knew they were secure. 

The condo itself was just a flat, a kitchen, dining room, recessed living room and only one queen sized bed overlooking all of it. Frank cursed under his breath. He wanted to think maybe David didn't know there weren't separate bedrooms...or even bedroom walls at all, but he knew better. Karen seemed unfazed, stepping out onto the small balcony to take in the view. 

Setting down what little belongings they had against the wall Frank followed her out. Directly in front of them was a hillside covered in trees and freshly blooming flowers and to the right a lake surrounded by small shops and walking trails. 

Not a bad place to set up, hopefully they wouldn't be forced out of here before they were ready to head back to New York. Frank always did love the mountains. It would be nice to be there while they sort this shit out, some beauty to belay all of the ugly. He and Maria talked about going to see the mountains, bringing the kids and camping. Frank's chest constricted. He couldn't go anywhere and not be reminded of them, of memories they never got to make, of his failures. He was leaned over with his forearms resting on the railing lost in his thoughts but when he turned back to Karen she was staring at him with a small sad smile. It unsettled him to no end how easily she could read him. 

Karen pushed away from the railing, stepping back inside. "It's really beautiful here. It's a shame we are here for such shitty circumstances." 

Frank grunted in agreement, following her in. He began taking inventory to see what they would need to buy when they went to the local store for supplies. The place was thankfully furnished with essentials like pots and pans, cooking utensils and silverware. They would mostly just need to worry about food. Probably some extra clothes since both of them packed very light. Not to mention, Spring in Colorado tended to be quite a bit cooler, so some warmer clothes would probably be a good call. 

He walked over to Karen as she sorted through her bag, no doubt taking stock to see what she would need as well. Frank stared at the only bed for a moment and was about to let her know he would be taking the couch but as he opened his mouth she cut him off with a simple, "No."

His eyebrows drew together in confusion, "What?" 

Karen turned to him with amusement in her eyes.

"You were just about to tell me you are going to take the couch and I can take the bed. No. You tracked me down, protected me twice, have fed me and treated my injuries. I'm not making you sleep on the couch. Now," She looked at him pointedly, "we can share the bed like adults or I can take the couch."

Frank just stared at her for a moment before letting out a huff, "We'll revisit this later. First, we should go get some supplies."

Karen turned to him fully and with a lightness in her voice, "No, we won't." She didn’t flinch at his scowl, "I mean it Frank, either you sleep on the bed or neither of us sleeps on the bed. Now, if you're alright with waiting on the supply run, I haven't showered in about 4 days and I feel disgusting." She waited a second for him to give her a quick nod before she disappeared into the small bathroom.

Frank settled into a chair, texting David that they had made it to the safe house and asking if he had heard anything in the chatter. Hearing the shower running made him stop and think about the last time he showered. Giving himself a tentative sniff and scrunching up his nose, Frank resolved to clean up as well before they went on the supply run. 

He heard the shower cut off and stood to find his bag, he had just found it next to the first aid kit as Karen stepped out of the bathroom. Frank stopped short, forgetting how to breathe when she paused to towel dry her hair. She was wearing stretchy workout shorts that hugged every curve of her hips and stopped just above mid thigh. Meaning he could see nearly every inch of her shapely legs. He had always been more of a breast man but you'd have to be an idiot not to recognize the masterpiece that was Karen Page's legs. Turning as casually as he could he busied himself with his bag, digging for his toiletries.

He glanced up when he heard a contented sigh, Karen looked wistful as she ran her fingers through her hair, "I think that is the best shower I've ever had, low water pressure and all. I feel like a whole new person."

She did look much more at ease, her shoulders low from relaxation rather than defeat and her eyes were much more bright. Her bruises looked better as well, the swelling down to a light puffiness. There was still an array of blues and purples around her eyes though. Frank grunted as he got to his feet, his knees popping as he stood.

Change of clothes in hand, he headed for the bathroom. "Don't get too comfortable, I won't be long." She hummed a response, continuing to dry her hair while stretching her legs out fully on the bed, threatening to further distract Frank from his task. A vision of those legs wrapped around his waist made him disappear into the bathroom quickly before his body could betray him.

The shower was longer than he intended but she was right, it felt glorious. The hot water helped to melt away some of his tension and being free of the blood, dirt and grime didn't hurt. Frank took the time to himself to debate if it was worth arguing the bed situation with Karen. It was a big enough bed that they would have plenty of space, so really, it should be no big deal. They are adults, just like she said. The issue is, they were adults with a lot of adult type tension between them. Frank wasn't naive enough to think he wouldn't be affected being in the same bed as her. He was just going to have to suck it up and deal 'cause he didn't doubt for a second that Karen would sleep on the couch or even the floor, to make a point. Stepping out of the shower, Frank toweled off quickly, threw on his last bit of clean clothes and stepped out. 

The store was only 10 minutes away and it didn't take long to get the supplies they needed, groceries for a couple of weeks and some spare clothes. There were a few times Frank had to scowl at some passing men who took a little too much interest in Karen, the shorts drawing more attention than he would have liked. Unfortunately, they were the last bit of clean clothes she had. One man was brave enough to try to talk to her but backed away quickly when Frank, who had only been a few steps away stepped up to the man’s shoulder and stared him down until he left. He ignored the amused look Karen gave him over her shoulder. Otherwise, it was an uneventful trip and they were back to the condo before long unpacking the supplies.

"You good with brats and some veggies for dinner?" Karen held up a pack of bratwurst as she pulled out a pan from under the cabinet. 

Frank didn't bother turning from the bag he was unpacking, throwing milk and butter into the fridge. "S'good with me. I saw a grill on the balcony, shame we didn't get any charcoal."

Karen gave him a rueful look over her shoulder, "Well that would have left you in charge of dinner. I can do most things on a stove but never really was good at cooking on a grill."

Glancing over with a smirk he set out some condiments for later, "It's not too hard, just gotta keep an eye on it to make sure your food doesn't end up as black as your charcoal." Finishing up the last bag he turned fully to her, marveling at how domestic she looked. Frank was used to Karen in business attire, hair lightly curled, make-up done, gun in her bag and spitting fire, fighting the scum of the earth in pumps. This Karen, casual, hair in a ponytail, tight jeans and loose fitting off the shoulder top, make-up free and humming lightly, was a change. He found this version just as magnetic as the other. He needed to get a grip.

"Are you good? If you don't need help I was gonna get in touch with David and see if he can get some VPNs set up on that laptop so you can get to your usual files and then take stock of what ammo I got left."

Karen had stopped to listen, waving him off once he finished, "Being able to do more on that laptop would be incredibly helpful, it's been awhile since I cooked but I should be able to do it without burning the place down."

It took longer than expected to get the computer set up, turns out it was "old as dirt" according to David and would be slow but should do what they needed. The hacker hadn't heard anything regarding Karen but was still keeping track. Frank had him check to see if there had been a body found near the area they dumped Karen's attempted attacker, nothing there either. The first body had been found but due to the man's history, drugs, beating women, rape and murder, there wasn't much investigation done or at least they weren't in a hurry to find the killer. Thanking David and hanging up before he could get on his nerves any more than he already had, Frank closed the laptop and put it back with Karen's belongings.

Her voice filtered through from the kitchen area, "Food's up." 

They ate in near silence, both just enjoying food they weren’t having to eat in a hurry, cramped in a vehicle. He could tell she was anxious to start digging now that she had more tools at her disposal, he figured she would be pulling the computer back out as soon as they finished eating. Instead, as they cleared the table and he began working on the dishes, she hovered in the entryway. He paused with the sponge in his hand, looking at her expectantly.

Karen, shifted on her feet, finally clearing her throat, "Do you think I could use your phone? Since Micro has everything pretty well encrypted, I thought I could reach out to Foggy and Matt and let them know I'm okay. I'm sure they are probably starting to get worried at this point."

Frank let out a huff, "Red was worryin' the first day you didn't show up to work."

She looked puzzled for a second before her blue eyes sharpened on him, "Red? You knew about him? How do you know he knew I was missing?" 

He scoffed, moving on to the next dish, "Mask only covers half his face and he doesn't even try to disguise his voice. Somethin' he should really consider since he really loves to hear himself talk. Not really hard to figure out." He started to soak a pan, "He found me as I was finishing up a job. Took the opportunity to preach at me and then ask if I had seen you. 'Cause he knows we have 'some kind of history'."

Karen let out a scoff, trying not to be annoyed at Matt before she crossed her arms, leaning against the door jamb to regard him with raised eyebrows, "One would argue a blind lawyer by day would not be capable of being a masked vigilante at night. Especially seeing the way Daredevil moves and fights."

Frank shrugged, giving her a pointed look, "You can't always tell what someone is capable of at a glance. Sometimes a blind man can be a goddamn ninja with a god complex and sometimes a skinny blonde will put a gun in your face and then run off to pick fights with lowlifes all over the city."

"Not all over the city. She sticks to Hell's Kitchen mostly. Would have to get a sidekick if I was going to expand to the whole city." Their eyes met and she gave him a challenging smirk. He just shook his head, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from returning the smile.

"Phone's on the table. David has it routed to go through different numbers so they won't be able to call you back." She gave a quiet thanks, stepping over to the table and scooping up his phone. He set the last pan in the rack, dried his hands and headed to the door. He needed to look over his weapons and make sure everything was in proper working order and check ammo stores. Things were calm for now but he knew, before it was all said and done, things would get ugly again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Show Me What You Got

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This a pretty long one.
> 
> Also, there is some heavy petting.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Karen settled in to the couch facing the balcony thinking maybe the scenery would help calm her nerves a bit. She wanted to let her friends know she was okay but she couldn't tell them where she was and didn't want to lie to them. It was going to be difficult to navigate those stipulations considering the situation.

She decided to call Foggy first, he had probably worried himself sick at this point. The phone rang a few times before she smiled hearing him answer in his professional voice, it wasn't a number he recognized after all, " _ Franklin Nelson _ ."

It took Karen a moment to find her own voice, after a second she cleared her throat and said quietly, "Hey Foggy."

There was a pregnant pause on the other end, she could almost see his face, eyebrows drawn together, eyes squinting and mouth slightly agape as he processed what he was hearing.

" _ KAREN?! _ " She flinched, " _ Where the hell are you? Are you okay? You're not hurt are you? Matt and I have been worried sick! He said you left your phone and laptop, that you hadn't been in your apartment at all since Friday. He brought the letter you left in your apartment and it just said 'I'm okay.' WHAT THE HELL KIND OF NOTE IS THAT KAREN? _ " His voice went up a couple octaves and her stomach twisted when she heard the distinct anxiety lacing every word.

"I'm sorry Foggy, something came up. I didn't want you and Matt to get caught up in it. I am fine though, not too worse for wear. I just had to get out of the city for a bit." She tried to sound as soothing and confident as possible. That was all true. She was doing great so far.

Frank came back in from outside toting a large bag that looked incredibly heavy. He settled on the floor and began laying out weapons categorically and once everything was spread out, he began breaking one apart to clean.

She heard a sound of disbelief from the phone, " _ So you are in trouble. We've been over this Karen, we look out for each other. Whatever trouble you are in we can help. I thought we were done hiding things from each other. _ "

Karen visibly flinched. She was doing it again, letting her friends down. It seems like that is all she is capable of doing but she would rather Foggy hate her than die because of her, "It's complicated Foggy, believe me I'm not trying to keep anything from you. I will be back soon," She really hoped that wasn't a lie, "and then I will tell you everything, okay? I've got everything under control."

Frank let out a loud scoff. She gave him a withering stare and prayed Foggy hadn't heard it. She had never been that lucky, " _ What was that? Is someone there with you? _ " His voice became frantic before quieting to a whisper, " _ Are you in danger right now? Do you need me to call the police?" _

"No,no, I'm not in danger. Right now. There is someone here but he um...." She met Frank's eyes and there was something challenging in his gaze. Karen took a steadying breath, she may as well not lie about this part, "It's Frank, he's uh...helping me stay safe." He quirked an eyebrow at her before focusing on his work once more, breaking down the next weapon with sure hands. Karen was mesmerized by the proficient way he handled the gun. She had never been one to be turned on by things like that but, damn, Frank made it look good. Suddenly she was very warm, imagining how skilled those rough hands would be in other situations.

She was snapped back into focus by a wheeze in her ear and suddenly she was worried she had killed her friend. After a second he squeaked out a quiet question, " _ Frank, as in Frank....Castle?" _

Karen had to smile a little bit, "Yes, that Frank. He is protecting me Foggy, I don't think I would have made it this far without him. Look, I'm going to call Matt and let him know I'm okay. I promise I will be in touch again soon. I  _ promise  _ I will fill you in on everything as soon as I can, okay?"

A defeated sigh and the sound of a hand dragging over a tired face was all she heard for a moment. " _ I suppose I'm not terribly surprised it's him there. You do tend to have crap taste in men."  _ She wanted to protest, for a couple of reasons but he kept going, " _ I'm really glad you called. It's such a relief to hear you are okay. Please be safe Karen. I understand if you can't say anything right now but I am here if you need anything. Most importantly, don't think this gets you out of your turn to pay at Josie's." _

A laugh that sounded dangerously like a sob escaped her, "You got it, Fog. I promise you won't have to pay out of turn." With a quiet goodbye she disconnected the call. 

Then promptly turned to scowl at Frank, "Your two cents was unnecessary you know. He was already worried enough." Frank just shrugged, an almost imperceptible smirk on his face as he slid the hammer back on one of his handguns to inspect the barrel.

Now for the call she was less ready to face. Not giving herself time to second guess, Karen dialed the number and hit send, holding her breath as the phone rang several times. For a moment, she thought he wasn't going to pick up when suddenly, " _ Karen? _ " Great, now he was also psychic. Add that to his ninja repertoire.

"Yeah, it's me." She wasn't sure what else to say, so she settled for a lame, "I'm okay."

Silence. 

She picked at her shorts and forced herself to speak, "I'm sorry I just disappeared, I-"

" _ You could have come to me. I know I haven't always been there when you needed me but I can help. I won't let anything happen to you. _ " His voice was sad, defeated. His ever present guilt permeating his words. Another knife twisting in her heart.

Her voice was quiet as she tried to keep it from quivering. Interrogating a mobster in a warehouse was no problem for her, explaining to her friends why she, once again, is hiding something from them was very difficult, "I know Matt but I had to do this. I called Foggy too, I will let you all know everything as soon as I can." 

Frank snapped pieces back in place of the freshly cleaned and oiled .45 he was working on, loading it with a full magazine and putting one in the chamber. Karen didn't think anything of it until she heard the rush of air from Matt.

" _ Is someone there? _ " She was confused for a moment on how he heard anything.  _ Oh, right. Super hearing. _ At some point she would remember the heightened senses. She was less eager to let Matt know who her companion was, Foggy was reticent, Matt would be downright surly.

"Yes, I have a friend with me." Friend didn’t sit right, it felt strange on her tongue when she was talking about Frank but there was no casual way to go into what they were so ‘friend’ would have to do. A few more pieces clicked into place on a weapon and suddenly Karen wasn't so sure that he wasn't being a little excessive with the noise.

" _ Frank _ ." The disdain in Matt’s voice was palpable. " _ You didn't trust me so you went to him? He kills people, Karen. _ "

Well, that didn't take long. Her anger started to build rapidly. "It's nothing like that Matt. It's not that I don't trust you, stop being dramatic and actually, I didn't have much of a choice on him tagging along. Someone let him know I was missing, so he tracked me down and then wouldn't leave." She shot Frank an annoyed look, he just met her eyes evenly, slapping the last piece in place before gathering up the weapons and neatly packing them away in the tote.

" _ Where are you Karen? Frank isn't safe. Please. Just come back to the city and I will figure it out." _ His voice was worried but she could also hear the contempt there, him now knowing Frank was involved.

She tried to keep her voice under control but she was shaking with the effort, the anger adding a sharpness to her tone, "I'm somewhere safe, out of the city and, for the record Matt, I'm not exactly safe either." She was so sick of everyone expecting her to hand her problems off to someone else, let someone else take the fall. "You more than anyone else should know the kind of shit I can bring into people's lives."

Matt tried to cut her off, " _ Karen, listen, I- _ "

"No, you need to listen. I have this under control. I don't need anyone else stepping in front of things meant for me." Suddenly the phone was plucked from her hand, she looked up to see Frank holding a glass of water in one hand and the phone in the other.

"Jesus Red, you gotta pick a fight with everyone? We are in a safe house, off the grid. She's safe, she knows how to take care of herself. If we need your help, which I doubt, we'll give you a call." His voice was low and rough not hiding the antagonism before he snapped the phone shut. He handed Karen the glass of water he had grabbed from the kitchen, handing her a tylenol to take for her aching bruises.

The shaking subsided as she took the proffered medication and gave him a small 'thank you' as she met his steady gaze. He nodded and tucked the phone in his pocket, disappearing into the bathroom. 

It hadn't escaped her notice that where Matt had said 'I', Frank said 'we'. Matt meant well but he wanted to treat her like she was fragile, something to be handled delicately. Frank protected Karen every chance he got but he also treated her like an equal. He never coddled her. He may infuriate her and hurt her when he pushes her away but he never treats her like an invalid. Running her fingers through her hair, she took a deep breath, guilt was creeping back in to replace the anger and suddenly she was exhausted.

It occurred to her that unless she counted the cot in the back of Frank's van, she hadn't slept in an actual bed since Thursday night. That was five, six days ago? Karen stood, stripping off her bra from under her shirt and moving to the bed. She settled into the side closest to the wall, knowing Frank, he would want to be the one closest to the door. As she leaned back into the mattress she let out a groan, pulling the covers nearly up to her chin. The mattress was firm but still was soft enough to cradle her and Karen was almost instantly fading into sleep. Her thoughts slowly bubbling to the surface of her mind, fighting the fuzziness of exhaustion, 'What do we do next? What if I can't figure out a way to stop him? What if I can never go back to New York? What if I get Frank killed?' 

Anxiety gripped her chest but she was distracted when the bathroom door opened and Frank came out in just a pair of shorts. His shoulders were held straight as she watched his bicep flex when he tossed the shirt he was holding onto his bag. He turned fully to face the bed and she scanned the planes of his chest with hooded eyes. His broad chest was smooth, she wondered if that was a choice and stored the thought away to find out later but it was also littered with furrows and scars, each one standing out on his skin. Karen was almost certain at least one of those was because of her. She followed each line in his skin, appreciating the definition in his torso that flexed with each subtle move of his body before she settled on the deep v cuts at his hips, revealed by the low riding shorts. The man was a masterpiece, scars and all.

Karen was pulled from her ogling when she saw him grab a pillow and turn his back to the bed, headed down the step to the living room. She was distracted for a second by the equally alluring muscled planes of his back before she spoke up.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Her voice was steady as she lifted her head to regard him.

Frank stopped mid-step, half turning back to her, his voice was rough with his obvious exhaustion, "Headed for the couch ma'am."

"I already told you that wasn't going to happen. Now, unless you want me to spend the night in that armchair, I suggest you get in this bed and lay the hell down." Her voice brokered no argument. When he didn't move, she made to pull back the blankets and swing her feet out of the bed.

"Alright, alright, lay your ass back down." He sounded defeated as he turned back around, putting the pillow back. He went around the condo, checking doors and pulling curtains before putting his pistol on the nightstand and climbing under the covers himself. Karen watched as he let out a sigh, shoulders relaxing and obviously as enamored by the mattress as she had been. 

When he glanced at her she gave him a small triumphant smile before laying back into the pillows, rolling to face the wall and getting comfortable. Frank didn't dignify her look with a response, he just turned the light off and rolled onto his stomach.

Karen's eyes were still open as she stared at the wall in the darkness. She listened to him breathe, thinking how strange it was to know exactly where he was, to not have to wonder where he was or worry if he were alive. His even breaths had her dozing off but before she was out completely she mumbled quietly, "Goodnight Frank."

Just a moment passed before she heard him shift slightly, she could feel his gaze on her and wanted to turn around to meet his eyes but she heard a soft, "'Night Karen." and then he was settled back into the pillows. It only took her a moment to fall into a deep sleep.

They settled into a routine over the next week, Karen spending hours at a time on her laptop trying to find something to use against Fisk, Frank making sure she ate and took breaks while also distracting her from time to time as he went through an exercise routine to stay busy. He would check in with David every couple of days, still no mention of Karen, not even on police scanners. As Karen would find tidbits of information they would discuss if it would be useful, Frank throwing in suggestions from angles she hadn't previously considered. She appreciated him humoring her with the discussions, Karen was pretty sure he intended to kill Fisk somehow once they were back in the city. At least for the moment he was letting her do it her way.

There was no more arguing about the bed, Frank had accepted defeat there. It wasn't always easy though, most nights he still came awake abruptly with nightmares, cursing quietly and drenched in sweat. Karen generally didn't say anything, she knew there wasn't anything she could say that would help. One night she plucked up the courage to lay a cool gentle hand to his bicep, just a reminder that he wasn't alone. He tensed at the contact at first, eventually resting his own hand over hers and before long their fingers were intertwined and both were drifting back into sleep.

Then there were the times they woke up in a tangle of limbs. Karen had always been a messy sleeper, rolling around and changing positions frequently. They both handled that as elegantly as they could. Which is to say, mumbled apologies and furious blushing on her part followed by Frank’s own apologies before he extricated himself and disappeared to the bathroom.

They debated several topics over meals, when they weren't researching and planning. This morning, over coffee, the subject turned to books. Frank enjoyed the classics and non-fiction while Karen was more partial to fantasy and murder-mystery. They argued over the finer points of literature but both agreed that, while he was a bit long winded on the details, Tolkein was a fantastic storyteller. 

The peace couldn't last forever though and Karen wasn't surprised when the next time they went in for supplies, trouble was waiting for them. It was early afternoon, sunny and beautiful when they stepped out of the store to unload the freshly purchased provisions. Karen was distracted by her own thoughts, mulling over some information she ran across last night while working on her plight. From what she could tell of Fisk's pattern, contacts and confidence, despite his incarceration, she couldn't help but wonder if this contract on her life was just as much a diversion as it was revenge. She had told Frank as much, careful not to go too deep into why Fisk may want revenge on her. He forwarded the information she had to David before they left for the store.

So, lost in her own thoughts as she was, it surprised her when Frank grabbed her hand and began to steer her in the opposite direction. He interlaced their fingers casually, the grocery bags swinging from his other hand and leaned slightly to speak directly into her ear.

"There is a person on the far side of the van, another watching us in their vehicle. They are going to be following us so walk like normal, when we get behind the store I want you to hide behind something, got it?" His voice was low and steady as his hand left hers to rest on her lower back and guide her around the back of the building. Karen scanned their surroundings and was thankful that no employees were out back and with a gentle nudge from Frank she stepped behind a dumpster. Before he turned back, Frank made Karen meet his eyes, his voice deadly, "If I go down, you run, do you hear me? Get back in the store and have them call the cops."

She met his eyes squarely and with an even voice, "I don't know if I can agree to that Frank." He narrowed his eyes on her but knew he didn't have time to argue, gently nudging her lower back to ease her further behind the dumpster.

It irked her to be hunkered down behind a dumpster while Frank was risking his life but she knew, hand to hand, she would not be able to help much in the situation. It didn't stop her from grabbing a rock the size of her palm she found next to her and clutching it tightly. It was only a minute before she heard footsteps coming around the building.

A voice she didn't recognize reached her ears, the man sounded cocky, like he wasn't concerned at all about his chances of getting to Karen. "C'mon man, I don't know what the broad has told you but I can guarantee that she isn't worth your life." She didn't disagree that she wasn't worth Frank's life but she was getting really sick of the name calling. "How about we settle this nice and easy, you let us take her and you can walk away, no questions asked." 

Frank's voice was light, a casualness that belayed the deadly rage she knew was brewing under his skin, "No questions asked, huh? That's real nice of you. How about, first, you tell me why you are after her and then we can negotiate." 

There were a few chuckles then a new voice answered, "She upset some real high rollers. Someone willing to spend a lot of money to see her hurt. Now, wanna hand her over?"

Karen kept her fingers pressed to her mouth to keep from making any sound. She hated this. It was happening again, her bringing someone else into her problems. She let the fact that she had missed Frank, the fact that she was enjoying spending time with him, cloud her judgement and now he was having to fight another battle for her. Endure more pain for her. She should have made him go back to New York but instead he was risking his life for her again. She felt nauseous.

She was pulled out of her self-loathing by Frank's voice, the lightness gone in favor of the smoke and lead laced voice of the Punisher, "Ya know, I don't think I do."

Karen jumped at the crack of rapid gunshots followed by the sound of heavy bodies hitting the ground. Leaning around the dumpster, she was relieved but not surprised to see Frank advancing on the prone bodies with his weapon still drawn. She cautiously came out from behind the dumpster in time to see Frank bending down to dig in the dead mens’ pockets. 

She made it to his side, blood still pounding in her ears so it took a second for Karen to process the rapid footsteps she heard behind her. Thankfully, Frank was much faster, shoving her out of the way in time for a third man to barrel him over, knocking the gun from his hand. Karen cursed as she pushed herself up from the ground, watching in horror as the man landed a solid blow to Frank's head, bouncing it off of the pavement.

A vicious growl escaped Frank but Karen could tell he was reeling. She scrambled to her knees looking for anything she could use against him. Seeing the rock she had dropped from behind the dumpster, Karen grabbed it up before rushing over and smashing the rock to the side of the attackers head. Frank dislodged him, landing a few more blows before the man lay still. 

Karen was breathing hard, wrapping her arms tightly around her torso. "Are you alight Frank?" 

He glanced at her, stooping down to pick up his firearm. His voice was gruff when he spoke, "We need to go." He pointed to the dropped grocery bag, indicating to Karen to pick it up, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard another shot ring out. Frank had her hand before she could look at the last man and led her rapidly to the van, pulling out calmly into the flow of traffic, trying not to draw attention.

She was quiet the whole way back, she felt Frank glance at her several times but she couldn't find her voice. They made it back to the safe house quickly and Frank has David on the phone almost immediately to have him monitoring the area and running information on the phones they pulled from the bodies. Karen puts the groceries away mechanically before sitting in the armchair and staring out of the balcony doors. 

Out of the corner of her eye she sees Frank kneel and balance on the balls of his feet in front of her. His face is hard but his voice is soft, "You alright?"

She nodded without looking at him, trying to sort out her thoughts.

Frank tsked, rubbing a hand over his face roughly, "This is why I told you to stay away from me Karen, I'm not good."

She whipped her head around so fast she heard her neck crack. Her thoughts suddenly sharp and clear.  _ Is he serious right now? _ She narrowed her eyes at him, voice incredulous, "What the hell are you talking about Frank?"

He narrowed his eyes right back at her, "I kill people, don't even hesitate. Not a second thought about it. I mean, _Christ_ , how many people have I murdered in front of you? You shouldn't be around that."

Something snapped in Karen. Standing quickly she saw Frank rock back on his heels to keep his balance before he stood as well. She was shaking, how could he stand there and act like she was innocent, like she didn't have blood on her hands. Then again, he didn't know the real her. Maybe it's time he understood. 

"You have no idea what I've done Frank. You stand there talking about how you kill people, well, I don't know if you've noticed but the last FIVE FUCKING people you've killed have been because of me!" Her voice rose before she pressed the back of her fingers to her mouth for a split second to collect herself. "You kill deserving people, Frank. I don't always agree with your process but you never hurt innocent people. I, on the other hand, just have to be around innocent people and they die."

Frank clicked his tongue, "C'mon Karen-" he reached for her but she stepped back.

"Fisk is after me because I killed his friend and assistant, James Wesley." Frank stopped and regarded her cautiously. "Seven bullets, I emptied the magazine into his chest. Then I left his body in that warehouse to rot." She was breathing heavily, frantic to make him understand how fundamentally not good she was.

Frank kept his distance, his face was still as he watched with careful eyes but his voice was calm and full of grit, "What did he do to deserve it?" He said it so matter of factly, like he knew she wouldn't have hurt someone without cause. It took nearly all of the wind out of her.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Karen let out a long sigh, "I had exposed their money laundering scheme in a company called Union Allied, I was a secretary there. After they framed me for the murder of my colleague they tried to have me killed in jail. That's how I met Matt and Foggy, they were my attorneys. I began working with them to expose Union Allied which is when we figured out Fisk was behind it. So, while we worked to bring them to justice, I worked with Ben Urich at the Bulletin to write articles incriminating and exposing them." 

Frank had been trying to keep his emotions in check, the vein at the side of his neck became more prominent as she told him about the attempt on her life but he gave a wry smile when she talked about writing the exposé, "Why am I not surprised by that?"

Despite herself, Karan gave a little smile as well but it fell quickly, her voice getting quiet, "Well, that led to us finding a lot of information on Fisk and exposing him. The public was starting to turn against him. So, Wesley drugged me one night on my way home, I woke up in some warehouse." She could still taste the bitterness on the back of her tongue from whatever it was he used to knock her out, "He, uh...he had a gun in between us and told me I was going to retract everything I said about Fisk. That I would sing his praises. I said I'd rather die."

Karen saw Frank's jaw tighten and it looked as though he had an almost physical pain in his chest but he didn't say anything so she continued, "That's when he promised me that I wouldn't be the first to die. He would kill everyone I cared about first, Ben, Foggy, Matt...my family. Only then would they come to kill me. But..his phone rang and when he was distracted I grabbed the gun. He tried to make me believe the gun wasn't loaded," She let out a huff, her eyes going dark, "Like I don't know what a loaded gun feels like. When he went to stand, I shot him. Then I emptied the gun into him and threw it into the river. That's what I can't get you to understand, Frank. You push me away to protect me, so you say, but I am going to be in danger either way. Hell, there were three attempts on my life before I ever knew you. Everyone wants to pretend I'm some innocent that bad things keep happening to but that isn't it. I am just not good, I hurt people."

\----

Frank regarded Karen, his eyes scanning her face as he processed her words. He had known she had it in her to kill someone, he distinctly remembered the resolve in her eyes when he showed up at her apartment after getting out of jail. This Wesley guy was just another example of people underestimating Karen. He felt nauseous when she mentioned the attempts on her life and it brought him to the uncomfortable realization that, whether her death was due to his bullshit or hers, it wouldn't hurt him any less either way.

He realized he had been lost in his own thoughts as she shifted on her feet in front of him."You were protecting yourself and the people you cared about, that doesn't make you a bad person Karen. You wouldn't have killed him if he hadn't backed you into a corner." He said firmly. 

She started shaking her head, turning away from him but he caught her arm, he had to make her understand, she wasn't anything like him and she definitely wasn't a bad person. She couldn't be any further from being a bad person, his voice was urgent, "Karen-"

"Did you know I was a drug addict Frank?" He paused, his eyes going wide for a second, "When I was 19, a drug addict and a dealer. And when my drug dealing boyfriend started to beat my brother to death with a tire iron, I shot him. Seems heroic right? Don't worry, right after that as I was driving us away, drunk and high, I wrecked the car and killed my brother. I had scrapes and bruises and he was  _ dead. _ " A choking sob escaped her before she turned to face him directly, "He was there to bring me home, to convince me to go back to college because HE was a good person. And I killed him."

Frank's heart ached for her. He lowered his voice, trying to speak as soothingly as possible but comforting wasn't his strong suit, "You were a kid Karen, trying to get away from a dangerous situation. It was a mistake, that doesn't make you a murderer. "

She wavered for a moment before meeting his eyes again, the torment there all too familiar to him. "Once I got to New York I just left a trail of bodies. The coworker I was framed for murdering, Mrs. Cardenes, Ben, Wesley, Father Lanthom. I'd be inclined to believe you if people weren't still dying because of me. You should have let me handle this myself. I can’t let one of those bodies be you."

Frank let a sharp breath out through his teeth, trying to rein in his frustration, "I wasn't just gonna walk away and let you get backed into a corner. I've told you, I ain’t gonna let that happen." 

Karen pushed a hand through her hair, balling her fist in the silky locks at the back of her head. "I don't understand you Frank." Her voice was sharp, "You didn't have a problem walking away before. I offered to help you and you pushed me away. The minute I do the same thing, try to push you away for your own safety, I can't get you to leave. A bit hypocritical don't you think?"

Turning sharply, Frank ran a hand over his cropped hair, pacing the length of the small living room before coming back to stand in front of her, "I was in the middle of a fucking mess, Karen. I had so many people after my ass, after the kid, that I couldn't have kept you safe. It wasn't a matter of if you got hurt, it was a matter of when."

"What about after the mess? You're really good at leaving me to wonder if you're even fucking alive." He flinched but tried to cover it by shaking his head and tightening his jaw. She was right, it wasn't fair to her but he didn't know how else to protect her.

"Besides, I already told you, I don't need you to keep me safe Frank." She stepped into his space, eyes flashing and cheeks flushed with anger. God she was beautiful. Every insufferable, stubborn inch of her. "I think it is very obvious, considering our current situation, that I am going to be in danger, whether you are around or not. I wasn't asking for you to protect me back in that hospital room. I was asking you to let me be your partner. To just.." Her eyes softened into hurt and he felt something pull in his chest. His anger drained away. "...be a part of your life. But you made it clear you didn't want that. You didn't want an after. Not with me. So why? Why are you here?" Her eyes pinned him to the spot. "It's been a year and a half, I thought, whatever the hell it was between us, was over. If you don't want me in your life, then leave. I can take it. What I can't take, is not knowing where I stand with you."

Frank felt panic grip his chest. Everything in him was at war. Of course he wanted her in his life but he couldn't afford to risk her. She was the only thing that made him feel human since he lost Maria and the kids. So did he allow himself to be selfish and risk her being in danger because of him or push her away, hurting her in the process? How could he make her understand?  _ I would die over and over to protect you. I would burn down the whole of New York city to keep you warm. _

He wasn't sure what scared him more, the thought of Karen getting hurt or the lengths he knew he was willing to go to keep it from happening. She was watching him with those intense blue eyes, taking in every detail and probably reading every thought he had. 

He was trying so hard to tell her what he was thinking, to make her see why he pushed her away, why she was better off without him, but he couldn't get the words out. They lodged in his throat, choking him. All he could manage was a wounded sound in the back of his throat. So many people thought he was unfeeling but the truth was, Frank felt emotion intensely. So strongly at times that the only way he could express it was through action.

So when Karen reached out and lightly laid her hand over his heart before moving it to grip his shoulder, just like she did all those months ago in that damned hospital room, he couldn't help but move. He stepped closely into her space, forehead pressed to hers as he rested his hand against her neck, his palm spanning most of it while his fingers tangled in her hair. It was just as silken as he remembered it being, a detail that stood out starkly in his mind after the bomb in the hotel. He heard her take in a sharp breath but she didn't move away, didn't even flinch when his other hand came to rest on the other side of her neck. Frank felt like a man drowning, holding on to her like she would keep them both afloat. He wasn’t sure if the fine tremors he felt were from himself or her.

They stood in limbo for just a moment, Frank trying desperately to make himself back up, to let her go but his body wouldn't listen. She smelled like honeysuckle and vanilla and it was intoxicating to him. He was reminded why he didn't let himself get too physically close to Karen, once she was under his armor, all of those voices in his head that told him this was a bad idea quieted and all he could think about is every point on his body she was touching. He leaned his head back, gaze scanning from her wide eyes down to her red lips and back again. The look in her eyes made his heart stutter in his chest, there was no doubt there, Karen knew what she wanted, she was just waiting for him to make up his mind. 

The first press of his lips to hers was soft and chaste, a chance for her to tell him to go to hell. Instead, she let out a small sound and gripped his shoulder tighter. After that, all hesitation he might have had dissipated. Frank's tongue ran along the seam of her full lips, his hands tilting her head as he devoured her mouth. That mouth that had him mesmerized every time she smiled or called him on his bullshit. The same one that helped him remember every time his family began to slip away from him. Frank felt the Karen Page related knot in his chest start to loosen as he breathed her in, feeling her pressed against him. She was so soft, body perfectly molded to him and it made him delirious. She met him at each turn, challenging him with nips of her teeth, tongue sliding against his deliciously. 

Frank let out a growling moan when he felt her other hand slip under his shirt to slide up his ribs and around to his chest only to lightly rake her nails down his abs. Before he could think to stop himself, Frank had gripped her ass and lifted her feet off the ground to wrap her legs around his waist and pin her to the wall with his body. The sultry sound she made had his hips jerking into her as his mouth left hers to drift down her neck, nipping and sucking as he went. Karen rolled her hips into his obvious arousal, eliciting a tortured sound from both of them. The pent up emotions and longing finally spilling over between them.

Both jolted however, when Frank's phone rang loudly from his back pocket. It was easily ignored for their current activities. They stilled when it rang a second time, Frank leaning back to look at her. What a fucking sight she was. Her lips were swollen and red, her eyes glassy and dazed with lust and he was just fine with ignoring the goddamn phone again.

Just as he leaned in to start where he left off, it rang again. Karen gave a rueful tilt of her lips before dropping her legs, much to his disappointment. Her voice was quiet but heavy with desire, "You should get that. It's obviously important if they are calling so many times."

Reluctantly he extricated his hands from her hair, trailing one hand down her arm while the other cupped her cheek. She held his eyes evenly as his thumb ran lightly along her bottom lip and before he knew what he was doing he was giving her another kiss, this one slow and easy and he hoped it conveyed every bit of what he was feeling. 

He pulled back with a low curse when the phone rang again. Finally he stepped back, dropping his hands and pulling the phone out of his pocket. David. Frank flipped it open and couldn't help the sharpness in his tone, "What?" 

" _ Wow, okay. Here I was thinking you might be dead or injured and actually starting to feel sad about it. You fixed that real quick, thanks buddy _ ." David's voice was tired and irritable and Frank heard him scribble something before returning to the keyboard.

He tried to hide his irritation, David was doing a lot to help them that he didn't have to and if he was calling it was probably important. So Frank gave him a rare apology, "Sorry, I was just in the middle of something." Karen let out a sound of amusement from the spot she had settled into on the chair and Frank gave her a light shove as he walked by to the dining room. 

" _ In the middle of something? What could you possibly be doing while you are isolated in the middle of the mountai- _ " There was an audible gasp and Frank pinched the bridge of his nose, already anticipating the conclusion David had come to. " _ No wonder you were so cranky! I mean, I have some pretty juicy stuff but I can call you back. I'd hate to ruin your alls' fun! _ "

"Chrissake, just tell me what you have." He settled at the dining room table and put the phone on speaker when Karen settled into one of the other chairs.

" _ Oh fine. I pinged the phones of the men you all ran into today. They weren't your usual run of the mill bounty hunters, they were on someone's payroll....a Vanessa Marianna _ ." He said.

Karen sat up straight, "Fisk's wife. Marianna was her maiden name."

_ "Hiiii Karen _ !" David's voice was high with excitement and Karen let out a small laugh when Frank looked physically pained.

"Hello Mr. Lieberman." Frank couldn't be too annoyed when he heard the amusement lacing her voice.

A tsk was heard from the other end, " _ David, please, and of course you are as smart as our broody friend said you are! Yes, Vanessa Marianna, now Vanessa Fisk had them on her payroll as her personal body guards and I don't mean her public payroll. This account was buried pretty deep." _ More tapping from the other end of the line.  _ "Once I figured out who she was I was able to hack into her personal computer and find some pretty interesting files." _

Karen's eyes met Frank's and raised an eyebrow. He could only shrug in return, it was unnerving how easy it was for David to dig into places he wasn't supposed to be.

" _ First of all, she has Daredevil's identity. _ " Across the table Karen went pale. " _ He's some blind lawyer from Hell's Kitchen, can you believe that? He's blind!" _

Frank laid a reassuring hand on Karen's resting on the table, giving her fingers a light squeeze. She gave him a small smile before clearing her throat, "Yeah, um, David, do you think you could delete any mention of that from her files?"

There was silence for a few seconds before David replied sounding like she had ruined his surprise, " _ You already knew that didn't you? _ "

"Yeah...Matt is a good friend of mine." She tried to sound a little apologetic.

Another beat of silence, " _ You lead a very interesting life, Miss Page. Alright, consider it deleted. Now that you've ruined my fun, let's get back to business. I also found a copy of the letter that I assume is what had you on the run, Karen. _ " Frank didn't remember her mentioning any note but he saw how she looked downright sick at the mention of it, he made a mental note to ask about that later. " _ From what I've found, your theory that this is just as much a diversion as it is revenge is correct. Mrs. Fisk has been communicating heavily with her jailbird husband and after every conversation there have been some big moves in the underworld. _ "

Frank was watching Karen's face as David talked, he saw her emotions fluctuate from anger to vindication then back to anger. Watching the fire burn in her eyes made him want to pull her to him again, let her vent her frustrations on his skin with her lips, teeth and hands. She met his eyes and he couldn't help but feel a little smug when he saw the shiver run through her. But they needed to focus right now.

Karen must have had the same thought because she tore her eyes from Frank, "David, can you locate her? Vanessa?"

More clicks and taps followed by little mumbled words answered her question before David finally spoke up again, " _ It looks like she is residing in upstate New York." _

Their eyes met again and an understanding passed between them. Frank leaned closer to the phone, "Send us the location and any specs of the place you can dig up, layout, security, personnel, schedule, everything."

Karen jumped in quickly, "Please." Giving Frank a pointed look. He responded with a shrug of one shoulder, placing his forearms on the table.

" _ Can do. I'll send that over as soon as I get it. In the meantime, I am seeing where three bodies just turned up behind a grocery store not far from you. So, I would suggest getting out of there in your incredibly suspicious murder van." _

Frank gave a low curse, he knew it was inevitable that the bodies would be found, he just hoped it would take a bit longer, "Yeah, we will head out first thing in the morning. Thanks David." 

Before David had a chance for any comments on he and Karen, Frank hung up the phone.

Karen was looking at him quite intently and after a moment he became restless under her gaze, she finally spoke, "I want to talk to Vanessa, so I think we are on the same page there. However," her gaze sharpened on him, "I don't want to go in there guns blazing, I would like to keep casualties to a minimum."

It was a relief to him that she didn't bother to argue with him about whether he was going to be going with her. Because he was. "We will have to get the info from David and get an idea of how many shitbags there are between us and her before I make any promises." It was the biggest concession he could make at the moment.

It seemed to be enough for now, Karen gave him a small nod and a look that told him the conversation wasn't over before she stood, grabbing the laptop, "I'm going to do some digging of my own. I've been more focused on Wilson's files than Vanessa's so I'm going to see if there is any kind of ammunition there. I really should have thought about that possibility before." 

Her voice was tired and disgusted, it had him reaching out to rest a hand on her forearm before he realized what he was doing. 

"You were being hunted, it's easy to overlook things, yeah?" She gave him a small smile, until he continued, "What letter was Lieberman talking about?"

Karen looked uncertain for a moment but finally she sighed and went to her bag, pulling out a crumpled envelope. Frank followed close behind, telling himself he wasn't staring at her ass in the incredibly tight jeans she was wearing. His attention was quickly diverted when she turned holding the envelope out to him.

Her voice was small when she passed it over, "It was pinned to my door once I got home from work that night. After I got his first message." She gestured vaguely to her ribs, "Once I read it, I packed up my stuff and left, hoping it would buy me some time."

Frank pulled the letter out and read it quickly. He then went back over it, line for line, letting each word fuel his rage. Fisk using Karen's dedication to her friends against her had him clenching his hands around the paper. He wasn't sure who he wanted to go after first, Fisk for being the slippery asshole he was or Murdock, for letting Fisk live in the first place. As he read through the second paragraph again his brows drew together, "This part, where he says you are right about what you said, his duplicity and all that. Did you go talk to him in jail or something?"

He saw her pale a little and then shift on her feet uncomfortably. He was nearly distracted when he saw her pull her bottom lip between her teeth prettily. But this wasn't time for distraction. His voice was low and rough, "Karen?"

She sat on the edge of the bed tiredly, picking at the hem of her shirt. "A lot happened between when I saw you in the elevator and when I saw you in the hospital." He could already feel his shoulders tensing but said nothing. 

"God...I don't even know where to start." She gave a humorless laugh, rubbing her hand over her forehead. "The abridged version: Matt died, or so we thought, in a ninja battle under the city. While he was supposedly dead, Fisk got out of prison, stole the Daredevil suit and had a psycho running around the city killing people in it. Including some coworkers of mine at the Bulletin and my witness to get Fisk back in jail. We were at the end of our rope on what to do so I went to his penthouse to try to get him to confess on tape about murdering his father, since there is no statute of limitations on murder."

Frank had been listening carefully, trying to keep as much emotion off of his face as possible. When she stopped, like that was all, he looked at her expectantly. She tried to look at him innocently, all wide blue eyes, but he knew she hadn't told him everything. His voice was gruff as he crossed his arms over his chest, letter still in his left hand, "And?"

She gave a long sigh in defeat, "And...I underestimated him. I thought I would be able to talk to him in circles until he confessed. Instead, he revealed his suspicion that Matt was Daredevil and he read the truth on my face." She closed her eyes tight for a moment, regrouping. "So, I redirected the conversation. I brought up Wesley. Fisk assumed Matt had killed him."

Frank knew where this was going and he could feel the anxiety gripping his chest, he really hoped he was wrong but she continued, confirming his fears.

"So, I uh...I told him in detail exactly how many bullets I put in his sidekick and then I told him I would have given him more if I could, because he deserved every one. I told him he shouldn't be worried about Matt, he should be worried about me." Her voice was shaky but there was an undercurrent of defiance and steel there as well. He would have been proud if he didn’t feel like he was having a stroke. 

"Jesus Christ, Karen." Frank felt so much at once he didn't know what to do with the energy. He tossed the letter to the side and paced. On one hand he felt fierce admiration for her. God, the woman was brave, always throwing herself into danger to find the truth or protect those around her. The biggest Kingpin in New York and she strolled into his penthouse, spitting fire and brimstone, intent on taking him down. That brought him to the other hand, how ridiculously stupid it was of her to barge in there, on her own, and face down the biggest Kingpin in New York. A chilling thought occurred to him, it stopped him in his tracks to look her in the eyes, "What exactly was your endgame, telling him about Wesley, since your first plan didn't work."

She looked like she was expecting the question but still didn't look as though she was ready to answer it. However, Karen Page never backed down, and this was no exception. She couldn't quite meet his gaze but she spoke clearly, with no hesitation. "I thought maybe if I got him on video attacking me, we would have a cause to get him behind bars."

The bottom fell out of Frank's stomach. He remembered the power behind Wilson Fisk's hands, Frank wasn't sure he could ever remember a time being hit so hard. The thought of those blows landing on Karen made him feel sick. His voice got louder, desperate, "He could have killed you Karen!"

Her eyes finally met his again and the look in them made his heart still in his chest, her voice didn't waver as she answered, "Then he would have been locked up for life and I will have done something to avenge all of the people's lives he's ruined. My death would have been nothing compared to the lives saved with him behind bars for good."

Before he could stop himself, Frank crossed the space between them and had his hands on either side of her jaw, jerking her head up to look at him. His voice was low, gravel wrapped in velvet, "Your death, would have meant the death of him and everyone he had ever been associated with. Don't ever try to tell me your life is less than, do you hear me?"

A tear escaped the corner of her eye and Frank used his thumb to wipe it away, laying a gentle kiss to her forehead. He pulled back just enough to hold eye contact with her, "The only reason I am not dead or 'rotting in a goddamn jail cell' is because of you. The only reason I know the truth about my family and was able to avenge them, is because of you. Your death would have taken everything I have left. Every last bit of my hope that there is still good in the world, every last bit of my sanity. Every last bit of my humanity would have gone with you." He didn't know why he was saying this all out loud but he couldn't seem to stop.

Karen was outright crying now so he pulled her into a tight hug, her cheek resting against his chest while he ran a hand up and down her back, the other buried in her hair on the back of her head. She was trembling with the effort of holding back her tears but he could still feel the front of his shirt dampening. If he was being honest, it was just as much to comfort himself as it was for her. It was a tangible reminder that she was here, that the events she just described didn't rob him of her. Guilt was sour in his gut as he thought about all of this happening while he was out of the city, pretending he was someone else. Trying to forget his old life. Trying to forget Karen Page while she was fighting for her life. Goddamn it, he was an asshole.

Eventually, she pulled back, sniffing and giving him a wan smile. Her voice was hoarse with emotion when she spoke, "Thank you Frank." He had no idea what she could be thanking him for but he gave a small nod anyway and took a step back, tucking some loose hair behind her ear as he went. They held gazes for a moment before she cleared her throat, breaking the silence, "I'm going to do some digging on Vanessa, then I can make something for a late lunch if you're hungry?"

Frank shook his head, "Nah, you do your thing. I'm going to go for a run, check the perimeter and make sure I don't see anything out of the ordinary. I can make something for us when I get back. Keep your gun and your burner next to you, wherever you are in this condo. If you even just feel like something ain't right, you call me, yeah?"

Just like that they were back to normal. She nodded and settled her gun next to her on the bed along with her burner phone and set to work on the computer. Frank changed quickly into some sweats and a hoodie that allowed him to conceal two guns and his K-bar before stepping out of the apartment. He wanted to be sure there was nothing out of place around their safe house, if he saw anything out of the ordinary, they would be packing up immediately and heading back to New York now, rather than in the morning. It would also be a good chance to clear his head a bit. He was still reeling from all the things he had missed, the things that could have happened. There was also the part where he and Karen made out like horny teenagers just a little bit ago.

He had a lot to think about.


	7. Honey, I'm not Afraid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically all sex.

Karen changed into more comfortable clothes, stretchy shorts and a tank top before she threw herself into her research, focusing on Vanessa's activities. It didn't take long for David to get Mrs. Fisk’s schedule sent so she memorized that as best she could to have an idea of Vanessa's movements. She tried not to let her mind wander back to Frank pinning her against the wall. Or the look on his face when she told him how resigned she was to dying at Fisk's hands. Her heart physically ached at the helpless look in his eyes. But then he shocked her, roughly grabbing her and with all the intensity that was Frank Castle, made her understand,  _ really _ understand, that her death was not acceptable to him. Something he had made very clear through his actions in the past but never been quite so articulate about before. 

Shaking her head, Karen got back to work, she could think about that stuff later. First, she had to figure out how she was going to persuade Vanessa Fisk to cancel the contract on her life. Then she needed to decide if she should tell Matt about this development. She knew she would, it was a matter of how to go about it without him and Frank killing each other.

Since Fisk's arrest, Vanessa had gone nearly radio silent in the public eye. She would host frequent small art gallery shows but Karen figured that was more for keeping appearances than anything else. There were several phone calls scheduled to Rikers Penitentiary, more than a typical inmate would be allowed which didn't surprise her in the least. She stopped suddenly, eyes catching on a particular phone call. The call had occurred and the next evening there was an art showing. Not terribly unusual, except scanning back through the phone calls after nearly every call, an art showing was scheduled for the next day. It may be nothing but it was worth digging further.

She emailed David back, asking if he would be able to get a guest list for the events before disappearing back down the rabbit hole of research. She was vaguely aware of the condo door opening and Frank coming back in. She verified with him that there was nothing out of the ordinary and saw him move into the kitchen out of the corner of her eye. David had been right, some major crime families had become more active and it did seem to align a little too closely with the art shows Vanessa was hosting. Once she received the guest list she could cross reference the activity with those that attended and she may begin to really have a solid base to work with. 

Her laptop was slowly closing and she moved her fingers just in time for it to click shut. Frank stood at the edge of the bed looking at her expectantly.  _ Did he say something _ ? As if he knew what she was thinking he gestured to her side, where a plate holding a sandwich and a cut up apple sat. She had no recollection of that being placed there.

Frank must have read the confusion on her face because he quirked an eyebrow at her with a little smirk, "I put that next to you an hour ago. You need to take a break and eat something."

Karen gave him an apologetic smile, replacing her laptop with the plate, "Sorry, I got a little sucked in. Thanks for the food." He just nodded, turning to step back down into the living room where he was reading. She barely tasted the sandwich, her brain was still whirring, thinking of possibilities and different angles to the information she had found so far. Before she knew it, the plate was on the nightstand and the laptop back in her lap.

She had put together a fair amount of information when her burning eyes finally made her look up from the screen. Frank was laying across the couch, shirtless she noticed with appreciation, with an arm tucked under his head and his mouth slightly open as he dozed. Karen couldn't help but smile, he looked so at peace. She was shocked to see that it was dark outside and Frank had turned on the lamp next to her at some point. Happy with the progress she had made, she closed the laptop and set it to the side rolling her shoulders to gain some circulation back.

Karen let out a gasp when her shoulder seized up in a cramp. Bringing a hand up to try to massage it out, she let out a quiet curse when she couldn't quite reach. Frank woke with a small start, quickly assessing his surroundings for danger. When he looked over at Karen, he quickly stepped over the back of the couch to reach the bed.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" His voice was laced with concern as he stood close to her.

"I'm fine." Her voice was strained, "Just a cramp in my shoulder, I think I stayed in the same position too long. I thought this stuff was supposed to happen when you are old."

Frank scoffed with amusement, swatting her hand out of the way to locate the source of her discomfort. It only took him a second to find the knot, causing her to hiss and shrink away from his hand a bit. He gave a sympathetic grunt but held her steady as he slid in behind her for better leverage. Karen chewed at her lip doing her best not to curse, he was being as gentle as he could but it still hurt like a bitch as he pressed into the knotted muscle trying to loosen it up.

After a few moments, she felt the muscle slowly start to release, a sigh of relief escaping her. Karen thought once the cramp had subsided, Frank would move off the bed but he continued to massage her shoulders, using both hands now and moving past the offending spot to rub relaxing circles into her neck before massaging down her shoulders and back. Coherent thought was getting more and more difficult, his strong hands soothing every bit of tension out of her neck and shoulders.

Frank was very adept at massage, his hands sure as they moved over her and unbidden to her, an image of his hands moving over the rest of her body had her flushing. Karen was in an interesting dichotomy of turned on and turning into mush. She felt herself relaxing more and more until it was all she could do to keep herself upright. She was also trying not to embarrass herself by making any undue noises. However, when he pressed just right into a spot between her shoulder blades, she let out a quiet moan that had his hands stilling for a split second.

Cursing herself mentally, Karen tried to think of a way to recover from the embarrassment when his hands slid up from her midback to brush her hair from her nape so he could place a delicate kiss there. It was her turn to go still, hardly believing what she had felt. She could feel Frank behind her waiting to see if she deemed it acceptable or if he needed to make himself scarce.

As an answer, she slowly leaned back into his chest until they were both propped up against the headboard, his legs bracketing her while his hands gently stroked her arms. Karen rested her head lightly on his shoulder, trying to keep her breaths even but he had also nuzzled into the crook of her neck, his stubble dragging over her skin deliciously and raising goosebumps all down her arms. 

She hummed when his hands went from stroking her arms to rubbing slow patters up and down her sides. They left a scorching trail, his callouses catching on the delicate material of her shirt from time to time causing it to ride up. Before long, one hand had come to rest at her hip while the other ran featherlight touches over the exposed flesh of her stomach, causing a small shiver to run through her. Karen was getting restless in his arms, each little touch stoking a flame in her belly that she couldn't control. Not that she wanted to. The air kept getting stuck in her lungs with each little circle Frank's calloused thumb drew on her side, inching her shirt up. The hand that rested on her hip was gently kneading. He felt solid behind her, the muscles of his chest and abdomen flexing with every intake of air and he had his leg bent at the knee to brace her. She could feel his breath, hot against her neck and when he placed a slow dragging kiss where her neck met her shoulder she couldn't help but let out a breathy sigh.

Frank's hand was hot as it skimmed up over her ribs under her shirt and when a long finger brushed the underside of her breast, Karen's hand reached behind her to bury her fingers in his hair lightly.

His voice was smoke and gravel in her ear,"Is this alright?" 

If she wasn't so incredibly turned on she would have turned around and shaken the man. Instead she settled on a firm, "More than alright." Punctuated by her nails running over his scalp.

The answering growl was so quiet and low she wasn't sure if she heard it or just felt it reverberate from his chest. She didn't have much time to contemplate it though before his hand moved the rest of the way over her breast. She bit her bottom lip to keep from making the wonton sound she really wanted to make. Frank's large hand completely cupped her, a low reverent noise escaping him, then he was running the pad of his thumb just around her nipple but never quite stopping there. He was careful with every movement, giving her the chance to slow things down or stop them if she wanted. She didn't.

With each pass of his thumb, Karen arched a little more into his touch. It seemed like an eternity before he ran his finger over the stiff peak. She couldn't stop the moan that escaped her and it rose in volume when he rolled the nub between his thumb and forefinger before giving it a languid pull. Arching her back to lift her chest more firmly into his hand, Karen almost didn't notice his other hand sliding from her hip to low over her belly. 

She watched with avid fascination as his scarred hand dipped beneath her shorts. Karen was nearly in a daze, she was sure she was going to wake up any second and this will have just been another one of her Frank-centric wet dreams.

However, the haze lifted when a thick finger slowly parted her and slid over her clit. She had truly forgotten how to breath.

"Goddamn Karen, you feel so fucking good." His finger dipped lower, teasing around her entrance and his voice was pitched so low it made moisture gather at her center. When he placed a light bite to her shoulder, it broke Karen out of her stupor. Suddenly she couldn't sit still. She used the hand in his hair to ground herself as she moved along with his hands, arching into the one that continued to wreak havoc on her breasts and twitching when his other stroked her clit just right. 

Karen watched with hooded eyes where his wrist disappeared in her shorts. It flexed and rolled as he worked over her. It was such an exhilarating experience, watching the hands she has seen fight and kill give her so much pleasure.

He kept muttering encouragement in her ear with every moan she released. When she rolled her hips back and felt his arousal the groan he released, breathy and deep, sent her into a fever pitch. Karen began rolling her hips back in earnest trying to hear that sound again. She heard it again but she released a similar noise when he sank a long thick finger into her.

"Fuck, Frank." He answered with a sucking kiss to her pulse point and the slow drag of his finger before adding a second. He curled both fingers while dragging his palm over her clit and she could feel the pleasure coiling low in her abdomen. She was so close but when she tried to articulate that it merely came out as a whimper.

Frank must have understood because he gave her a couple more slow drags of his fingers before bringing those fingers up to rub fast circles over her clit. Still kneading her breasts with the other hand he nipped the shell of her ear and growled, "I want to see you come, Karen." So many exquisite sensations and his sultry voice in her ear had Karen falling over the edge. Her whole body seized up and all she could manage past her lips were sharp exhales of his name.

He moaned as though he could feel her pleasure for himself, "Attagirl."

Frank slowed his fingers, pulling the hand from her shorts to sling low over her hips while the other hand slid from her breast to run up and down her ribs in a soothing manner. Karen, for her part, was still gasping for air. She can't remember the last time she had an orgasm like that, if she had ever had one. He was trailing slow kisses down her shoulder when she gave a slow stretch, sighing her contentment. She still felt his arousal in her back and knew she was not finished with him yet.

Karen rolled in his arms, sitting up on her knees to face him. His arms fell to his side so she could see the muscled expanse of his chest. Sitting back on her haunches she had to stare for a moment. Holy shit. Frank's pupils were blown so wide with desire his eyes were nearly black. His chest heaved with every breath, she could see every muscle flex with the effort it was taking him to sit still. He was holding himself back and that just wouldn't do.

Grasping the hem of her tank top, Karen pulled it over her head, tossing it over the edge of the bed. Frank's eyes immediately dropped to her bare chest and his gaze was so hot on her skin she was surprised she couldn't see flames. He met her eyes again when she leaned forward, placing a hand on either side of his hips to support her weight, until her face was only a breaths width from his. He was the first to move, leaning forward slightly to rest his forehead to hers. They never broke eye contact and whatever Frank was looking for in her gaze he must have found it. He brought a hand up, burying into the loose blonde hair at her nape and pulled her into a searing kiss. His lips closed over hers, then he was angling his head the other way to kiss her again. 

Karen ran her tongue over his full bottom lip, bringing a sexy noise from him before he opened up to her. They devoured each other but neither's hunger was satiated. She ran her hands up from his waist, feeling his abdominals tense as she kept moving up until her palms rested on either side of his strong jaw. She pulled back for air and looked down between them to appreciate his body below her. God, the man was perfection. Compact muscle punctuated with scars, each one telling a different tale. Broad shoulders that carried the weight of his grief and guilt but also stood tall and proud in the face of danger.

When her eyes finally made their way back to his face there was a small cocky smirk on his lips.  _ Damn the man _ . Karen ran her fingers over his lips, fascinated when the smirk fell and he was nipping at her fingers.

"Frank." Her voice was barely recognizable to her own ears. It was low and husky, rough from holding in all the things she wanted to tell him. 

"Karen." His voice was no better, rough at the edges and full of something she was afraid to name. She slid her hands back down the expanse of chest running a fingernail over a dusky nipple before they rested at the waistband of his jeans. She could see the outline of him, straining against the denim and it was driving her crazy to be rid of the barriers between them. 

He watched her intensely with dark coffee colored eyes and she didn't waver as she gripped him firmly through the material.

Frank hissed, jerking into her hand. His eyes narrowed on her before he was pulling her into another kiss. She wasn't going to let him distract her though, her fingers deftly pulled at the button of his pants despite his wicked tongue. The button gave suddenly after a bit of a struggle causing her to leave a red welt from her nail on his stomach. Neither seemed to notice or care. 

Without preamble, Karen began to tug the jeans down by the waist Frank jumping in to assist quickly. She knew the moment he was free of the cloth because he let out an almost imperceptible sigh against her lips. Glancing down, Karen's mouth went dry. He just had to be a beautiful specimen in all regards, didn't he? She sat back slightly, biting her bottom lip again before taking him firmly in her hand. Frank had been watching intently but as soon as she touched him, his head fell back against the wall, a raspy moan falling from his lips.

He was thick, she ran her thumb up a corded vein as she slowly stroked him, and longer than Karen had experienced. She never minded going down on a guy but, goddamn, she would beg for the privilege of pleasing Frank if she had to. She started to lower herself down but Frank caught her by the chin, cupping it gently, his voice was soft and urgent, "That will end this before it even starts and I really don't want that." 

Karen gave him an understanding smile before stripping off her shorts, Frank following suit, peeling his own pants and boxer briefs down his muscular legs before kicking them to the side. His eyes wandered over her as she climbed over him, straddling his hips. The reverence in his gaze humbled her and made her feel both self conscious and incredibly sexy. His hands were dark and rough to her smooth pale skin and she shivered when they ran up her sides to grasp either side of her face. It always amazed her how tactile Frank was. As much as he fought to keep distance between them, once she was under his guard he was always touching her somehow. She held his gaze when she gripped his cock and slowly slid over him. His eyes drift closed and he let out a long exhale as he entered her inch by inch. Karen reveled in the delicious stretch of him inside her. Her wet dreams never prepared her for the reality that was intimacy with Frank Castle. 

When she was fully seated against him, Frank's eyes opened again to meet hers. They stared at each other for a moment, both silently acknowledging that things have changed. For better or worse, there was no denying what was between them.

Slowly at first, Karen lifted herself off of him before sliding tantalizingly down again. The delicious friction had her gasping in no time, her hands wandering from nape to navel on his skin and back again, making him shiver. There it was again, that tremor in his muscles that told Karen he was trying to rein it in, keep himself under control. He was currently watching where their bodies met so Karen swiveled her hips in a slow circle, grinding torturously on him. 

Growling he gripped her ass with both hands, following the motion as she did it again.

"Goddamn." He muffled his curses and pleasured sounds against her collarbone, neck, breast, anything he could reach with his mouth. Trailing kisses and licks where he could. Raising up once more, Karen came down harshly, bottoming him out inside her. It caused her to cry out, fissures of pleasure shooting through her. It broke Frank's resolve.

Banding an arm around her back Frank sat up completely against the headboard, pulling her flush against his chest. His other arm lifted her hips off of him before slamming her back down, tilting his hips up as he did. Karen gasped his name, he could see her coming undone. He repeated the motion again and again, Karen holding on to his shoulders for dear life. She was on fire, sure that she would combust from the pleasure of it. 

She couldn't help but let out a whimper when he used his strength to stop her mid-stride. Holding here where just the tip of him remained in her. When he showed no sign of letting her down, only continuing to lave at her breast, Karen pleaded huskily, "Frank, please." He looked up at her through those dark lashes, god she could come just from the look in his eyes. Frank ran his tongue from her nipple to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, giving it a hard suck. 

She was sure that was going to bruise but didn't have time to think about it further as he jerked his hips into her.

"Oh, fuck." Now she was cursing, she couldn't control what was coming out of her mouth any more than she could control his pace at this point. He held her stalled again before quickly slamming back into place.

The anticipation coupled with his hard re-entry had Karen seeing stars and she was right on the edge of another orgasm. Apparently he was feeling it as well because Frank abandoned any pretense of teasing, suddenly and rapidly pounding into her. Karen let out a scream, her release ripping through her so powerfully she swore her vision went white, her nerve endings all firing at once. 

As she started to come down she felt Frank's thrusts getting sporadic, his breath panting against her collarbone. Placing a hand in his hair she tugged his head back roughly and bit and sucked at his jaw. He came undone with a cursing moan. Her name fell from his lips as he jerked into her, riding out the last of his intense release. Seeing Frank Castle let go was a vision Karen would not soon forget.

His head fell forward, forehead resting on her breastbone. Karen wrapped her arms loosely around his neck while he secured his around her hips. They both just sat there for a moment, letting their high wear off, basking in each other's warmth. She was the first to move sitting back just enough to tip his head up to her and give him a long lingering kiss. Frank grunted appreciatively but she saw his brows come together, his demons already coming back.

Tsking, Karen smoothed her fingers over the deepset lines between his brows, determined to erase them, "That's enough of that." She said it quietly and almost teasingly, kissing where her fingers had just been, "You don't get to give me the best sex of my life and then immediately regret it Castle."

He scoffed, that cocky smirk returning just a little bit, "I don't regret a goddamn thing. I'm just waiting for  _ you  _ to regret it."

Karen shook her head at this hopelessly dense man, her voice even softer but a seriousness in her tone, "I never regret you Frank."

He just looked at her in bewilderment, flashes of wonder and something akin to pain crossing his features before pulling her in for another long kiss, this one slow and sweet, more just a press of their lips. 

They quickly took care of the post-coital unpleasantries, Karen not bothering to put anything back on as she climbed in next to Frank who was already under the covers. He pulled her tight to his chest, one hand cupping a breast while the other served as her pillow. 

His voice was tired, slurring at the edges, "I'd give a lecture on the impracticalities of sleeping naked if someone were to attack but I think I can let it slide this time." 

She gave a quiet laugh, her own exhaustion apparent, "I appreciate the leniency."

The last thing she remembered before dozing off into oblivion was a soft kiss to the back of her head. 


	8. Rear Back and Take Aim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

Frank was so fucked. He watched Karen dozing on his completely numb arm as the morning light streamed through the balcony doors and he couldn't tear his eyes from her. Last night kept playing over and over in his head. The expanse of her beautiful pale skin, perfectly shaped breasts, the noises she made when he had his hands on her. The way she looked at him, like he mattered. Like he wasn't a monster. Like she loved him.

He watched her face as she took in the long slow breaths of someone in deep restful sleep, his eyes scanning her features and memorizing every line, as if he hadn't already. Her bruises had almost completely faded, leaving just a light discoloration at her temple and he wanted to press his lips to that spot and kiss away the last of the damage. For a moment he nearly forgot why he shouldn't be doing this, he just reveled in holding this incredible, beautiful woman in his arms.

Frank was unable to stop the flash of pride in his chest, he was one lucky bastard. Her words, _ I never regret you _ , echoed in his head over and over and each time he felt a little piece of his soul repairing itself. His demons never retreated for long though, rendering what Karen had managed to rebuild back to rubble. Suddenly it hurt to look at her, flashes of the family he couldn't protect filling his vision only this time her face was there too, covered in blood and unblinking.

He could no longer lie still, so to keep from waking her, Frank stood and threw his sweats on before stepping out on the balcony. She couldn't love him. He doesn't get to have that anymore. Karen was smart, beautiful, strong and resilient. She could have anyone she wanted. She fought for justice and saw the best in people while still accepting the darkness in them. There was no universe where he deserved her love.

It was that moment, with sickening clarity, thinking about her bravery, her smile, her kindness and her wicked sense of humor, that Frank realized he loved her. Most people felt light with a realization like that but all he could feel was a mix of guilt and disdain for himself.  _ That's what she fucking needs, your psycho ass adding your bullshit to hers _ . A small childish part of him had hoped maybe it was just sexual tension and once they got that out of the way, they could walk away from each other. He knew how ridiculous that was when his heart wrenched painfully at the thought of being done with Karen when this was all over.

Frank was lost in his thoughts, not acknowledging the chill of the morning until a warm pair of arms wrapped around his torso and Karen pressed herself flush to his back.

Her voice was light but he could hear tension and worry there as well, "I could hear you thinking in my sleep." He felt her lips moving against his skin as she spoke, "Wanna talk?"

Frank turned in her arms so they rested chest to chest against the balcony railing. Her hair was mussed from sleep and she was squinting against the morning sun. Frank shifted a bit to shade her eyes with his body and the smile she gave him was so radiant he was nearly blinded himself. Her eyes were so blue Frank felt like he could drown in them and for a moment all he could do was stare in wonderment, his hand coming up to rest against the side of her face.

She leaned into his hand and stared at him expectantly and it took him a minute to remember she had asked him a question. Looking to the side to try and break the spell she had put over him, Frank took a deep breath, steadying himself for what he needed to do. He kept his voice low as he dropped the hand from her face to rest at her hip, "This," He looked at her hand that had come to rest on his chest over his heart, "is not a good idea."

Karen's beryl eyes turned to flint, pinning him to the spot even as she took a step back. Frank instantly felt the warmth she had brought retreat with her. He tried not to let it affect him. He tried not to feel the loss as acutely as he did. Tried but didn't succeed.

Frank wanted so badly to say something, anything to make her smile again or something to make her see how right he was but they had been through all of this before. So instead, he braced his arms on the railing behind him and regarded her carefully with narrowed eyes.

"Honestly, Frank, you give me whiplash." Her eyes were still hard but the gentleness with which she addressed him did far more damage, "You think that you being around is what gets me hurt. The truth is, it's watching you leave that hurts me more than anything. Seeing the way you look at me, the way you touch me, only for you to turn it off a second later and disappear." She gives a humorless laugh and his lungs constrict when he sees her eyes swimming. If only she knew how much he couldn't turn it off.

His throat is tight but he forces the words out anyway, "I can't be responsible for getting you killed Karen, I just can't. That's why this is a bad idea, 'cause when you're around I forget why I'm supposed to push you away."

She wiped a stray tear away quickly and took a step closer to him. Frank gripped the railing until his knuckles turned white, trying so hard not to reach for her. He was busy watching her rose colored lips as she pulled them between her teeth so when she spoke again it took him a moment to process her question.

"Then why are you here?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at his frustrated confusion, "I know you don't want anything to happen to me, but Frank, my job is dangerous. I deal with dangerous people almost every day. I mean, for God's sake, I work with the devil of Hell's Kitchen. If you think you shouldn't be around me, you didn't have to track me down, you could have left it up to Matt to help me." He hopes she doesn't notice the flash of contempt he feels cross his face but she doesn't miss anything with him. She huffs out a humorless laugh before fixing him with a hard stare, "You don't get to make me walk away only to pop back up when it's convenient for you. It's not fair. To either of us. Either you are in my life or you aren't, you can't have both."

Logically he knew she was right, he's sure he has told himself that before, but hearing it fall from her lips caused his chest to spasm painfully. He felt panicked, like he had to make the call right now which caused anger to spike since he thought he had already made that call. He's the fucking Punisher, he didn't need anyone, everything he needed died at that carousel but facing her now, last night playing over in his head in startling detail, he realized he hadn't been as sure as he thought. His chest and throat hurt, everything he was trying to say blocked his airways and made him choke, a small distressed sound the only thing he managed. Frank was shaking his head, trying to jostle some coherent thought loose and his eyes were wild, like a trapped animal.

Karen saw him struggling and like the angel she was brought his attention back to her and away from his spiraling thoughts, her voice was solid as she said, "Back in that hospital room, I told you to make it mean something, me being there. What were you going to say? Before the kid walked in."

The vortex of his thoughts came to a sudden, disorienting halt, focused solely on that memory. Clicking his tongue, Frank turned to glare into the distance. He really didn't want to relive that day. He regretted so much about it.

"I don't know." he said.

"That's bullshit." she spat.

He turned to look at her, her cheeks were slightly pink, her eyes glinting in the early morning light and she was so damn beautiful. Calm and steady to his anxious, agitated uncertainty. He wanted to tell her there was nothing he wanted to say, that he had already said it. He wanted her to believe that he was pushing her away because he genuinely didn't want her. But they never lied to each other.

His voice was rough, almost resigned. "I had no idea how to tell you everything I wanted to in the time I had left to do it. I wasn't lying, Karen, I don't want to give up the war. I don't know if that will ever change, it is something that is a part of me now. It may have always been a part of me. I thought if I could push you away you would be safe." He gave her a pointed look. "That was obviously a bit naive of me, knowing you. I couldn't stand the thought of you getting hurt because of me. Still can't. The idea was I would distance myself, then I could just focus on fightin', cleanin' up the city without worrying it would reach you. But I can't stop thinkin’ about you. Thing is, you don't know when to quit, even when you're just in my head."

Karen gave a little sniff, stepping back into his space and placing her hand back over his heart. The smallest touch, one she had perfected, one that could dismantle his armor in seconds. He wondered if she knew how much it affected him. How he could feel that small touch in every atom of his being. She stared at her hand where it rested for a moment while he stared at her and tried to control his breathing. 

"In that hospital room, when I said you could love someone else, instead of another war, I didn't mean you had to give up the war. I just meant you could love someone else, not just the war. I do wish you could leave it behind but I understand why you can't." She looked up at him, eyes like blue fire as she flexed her fingers on his chest, voice vehement, "I know who you are Frank Castle. I know what you are capable of. Hell, I've seen what you are capable of, first hand. I know you can kill a man with your bare hands. Take down entire cartels in a matter of a week. I also know that you nearly gave your own life to give David Lieberman his back. That you would have given everything to keep Amy safe, both people you barely knew. That you used your own body to shelter me from a spray of bullets, from a fucking bomb. I know that this mission you have means dangerous people will be after you. Most importantly, I know, I would rather face that danger with you than live safely without you. What you do with that is your call."

Frank could feel his heart beating harshly against his ribs. It almost felt as though it were trying to break out of his chest to rest in her capable hand, God knows she already had his heart metaphorically, she might as well have it literally. He watched in fascination as her other hand loosened his death grip on the railing to place it on her hips once more and his other hand followed suit without a second thought from him. 

"I'm not asking you for forever right now Frank. I am just asking that, once we are back in the city and this whole mess is over, you give this a chance. I can't promise that shit won't go sideways but I want us to try. Okay?"

It was a bad idea. He knew it was but that voice that always urged him to deny her couldn't be heard over her soft breathing as she is watching him expectantly. With no shortage of hope and anxiety. Everything swirling around in his chest made it difficult to form words but finally, he said, "Okay."

The smile that tilted her lips would have knocked him off his feet if her hands hadn't come up to wrap around the back of his head, pulling him to her so she could ghost a quiet, "Okay" over his lips before she was kissing him fully, running her tongue over his and holding on to him like he may fade away in her grasp.

Finally Frank pulled back, giving her a light kiss on the cheek before turning her back towards the door and nudging her into the condo. "Let's get our stuff together, we've already stayed too long, we need to get moving." He tried to sound rough and in control but it came out soft and more of an entreaty than he had intended. Judging by the little smirk Karen threw over her shoulder she wasn't impressed but she dressed quickly and started to gather her things. 

They ate a quick breakfast with what was left in the fridge and in less than an hour they had all of their things together and loaded up, surveying the condo to ensure they didn't leave anything behind. Frank glanced over and felt a pang of sadness when he saw the open longing in Karen's face. Maybe, if they get through this and actually get their shit together, maybe they could come back. Actually explore and relax and just...be. But they had things to take care of first so he turned, watching her carefully as she turned as well, giving him a small smile before she stepped out of the door.

Mountains rolled by as they hit the interstate headed East and they settled in for the long drive back. It was a quiet comfortable silence in the cab as both were lost in thought, whether it was about their earlier conversation or what was to come. It had been nearly two hours when Frank glanced over to see Karen sifting through her bag. She held up the burner phone they had purchased for her triumphantly and began to punch in a number.

Karen didn't even look over to respond, she knew Frank was dividing his attention between the road and her. "Watch the road soldier, I'm just calling Foggy. I want to check in and let him know that we are headed back. I won't give him any details yet, maybe once we are back in the city we can get everyone together to finalize a plan." She looked over to him, he wouldn't say it was to ask permission, more of a chance for him to protest and her to probably do it anyway.

When he glanced over again he gave a small nod. If it were up to him he would storm the place, give the lady no other option but to leave Karen alone and then find a way into Rikers to kill Fisk. Simple. But this was Karen's plan, her situation. As much as he wanted to take care of it for her and remove all the danger, he knew she would resent him for taking it out of her hands. That being said, if it looked at all like shit was going sideways he was taking over, she could be as resentful as much as she wanted, as long as she was alive when it was over.

Frank focused on his driving, occasionally checking the rear view to ensure there was no one following them. When he tuned back in it was to Karen laughing quietly into the phone. He had to force himself to keep his eyes on the road instead of putting his full attention on her. It was novel, witnessing Karen just...being. No bad guys, no immediate danger, no bombs or hospital rooms. Just Karen talking to her friend. 

"Yeah Foggy, I'm fine, I promise. We are headed back now. What?" A startled laugh. "Sorry I forgot to get you a souvenir, will a gas station shot glass be okay? Sunglasses for Matt? What an original idea you have." She giggled a little bit more before he heard her sober up. "Yeah, we know who is behind it, I-" He looked over just in time to see her roll her eyes. "Tell Matt eavesdropping is rude, even if it is a superpower." He couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped, Karen turned to him with a smirk and a wink. "I'll fill you both in once we are back in the city and I've got all of the information. I want to be sure we aren't being followed and there is a safe place for us to meet, I don't want to put you in danger." Her voice gave a little tremor but before he even had a chance to reach for her, she gave another laugh, "You're right, Marci would probably scare off anyone threatening her Foggy Bear."

Frank's eyes went wide, storing that information for future ammo in case he needed it. Judging by the loud groan he heard over the line, Nelson had not wanted that said out loud. A couple more reassurances and pleasantries and Karen was hanging up the phone, tucking it back into her bag. 

Clearing his throat, Frank gave her a mischievous look, "So...Foggy Bear, huh?" 

Karen bit her lip, laughter in her voice, "He's never going to forgive me for saying that in front of you. Try not to torture him too much with it."

A loud ping came from Frank's front pocket before he could make any promises he couldn't keep. He pulled it from his pocket and handed it to Karen to read the message.

"It's from David." She said, quickly scanning the text. "He got the information all together and has sent it. Once we get somewhere with internet I'll download it and work on it more. He also says your safe house is clear, there hasn't been any activity there since before you left."

Frank scowled. He never gave David any indication of where his safe house was located. They were going to have to have a serious talk about boundaries, that may include Frank punching him at some point. 

He glanced over quickly when he heard Karen snort, she was looking at him, "You never told him where it was did you? He just used creepy hacker skills to find it didn't he?"

With a resigned sigh, Frank just nodded.

"God, he is terrifying." she said, a mix of admiration and a healthy dose of wariness in her voice.

"He can be but he's also an annoying idiot so I guess it balances out." He gave her a sideways grin when she let out a surprised laugh, tucking the phone into the center console and settling herself back in the seat.

Despite the shit storm they were driving back into, Frank felt at ease. They bantered about music, both settling on an old rock station for the trip. He outlined why The Boss was one of the best musicians out there and she nodded along in a placating manner. Her preferences were all over the place, some he could agree with others that just had him shaking his head. 

It took them nearly two days, Frank insisted they take their time so they could arrive back in the city when it was dark. Karen would take over driving when Frank got tired and he would crash on the cot in the back or just lay the passenger seat back. The easy conversation slowed as they entered the city and their situation came back into focus. Frank took them in convoluted loops through the city until he was confident they wouldn't be followed before he finally pulled into a small abandoned warehouse.

Despite David's reassurance, Frank did a quick sweep of the premises before letting Karen out of the van, insisting she stay in the back where he had her hiding for most of their trip through the city streets. When he gave the all clear and she stepped out, Karen turned slowly taking in her surroundings, from the mini-fridge next to the table that held his burner for cooking to his sparse cot and neatly stacked clothes. Of course there were also stacks of weapons lining the walls and a computer set up he had gotten from David. Frank cringed inwardly when she leveled her gaze back on him, he fully expected her to give him the third degree for living like this. 

Before she could comment he spoke up, "I have an apartment. I stay here when I need to lay low or if I need to do some recon." Karen gave him a small knowing smile and he felt the tips of his ears turning red. Here he was, a grown man, feeling as though he needed to explain his living situation to a pretty girl like he was a teenager who didn't clean his room. Admittedly, it had been awhile since he had been to his apartment and it wasn't much more furnished than this but she didn't need to know that. 

Turning back to the van, Frank busied himself with unloading the rest of their supplies before he could say anything else embarrassing. The first thing he brought out was Karen's laptop, he set it up with the password for the wifi and pulled up the most comfortable chair he had to the workstation for her. He was a bit distressed, these kinds of conditions were okay when it was just him but he hated the idea of Karen living with so little comforts, even if it was only temporary. It couldn't be helped though, so he tried to make it as comfortable as he could.

Karen sat down at the laptop giving him a grateful smile and began digging through the files that David sent over. He knew she would be at it for awhile so he went about checking his ammo and supplies, grimaced at the very empty mini-fridge, and then made up the cot with the procured hotel comforter. 

It wasn't long before he had everything in order so he stepped over to where Karen was jotting down notes and furiously scrolling through files. He gripped the back of her chair, reading a bit over her shoulder, "Finding anything you can use?"

She made a somewhat noncommittal noise and continued to scroll for a few more seconds before she answered distractedly. "There is a ton of suspicious activity here, a lot of it corresponding with her communication with Fisk and that is just the phone calls I see on her calendar, there are probably more. If it were anyone else, I would say yes, we should be able to take them down with what we have here." Pausing for a second to bury her hands in her hair, Karen let out a disgusted huff. "But this is Fisk we are talking about. This is the second time we have sent him to prison and he still has just as much freedom as he did before. It's infuriating."

Frank moved his hands to her shoulders, rubbing them soothingly but when he spoke his voice was hard and unforgiving, "He needs to be put down."

Karen's shoulders tensed for a moment before she lowered her arms with a resigned sigh. "I really want to disagree with you Frank. I really want to say that the justice system will prevail and he will be held responsible but we both know that sometimes the justice system doesn't work, don't we?" She looked over her shoulder to give him a sad smile and Frank wished the world was good enough to deserve Karen Page.

There was really nothing he could say to that so he brushed his lips over her forehead in a light kiss before pulling back and heading to his own computer. "I'm going to go over the blueprints for the house, look at security details and schedules and put together a tactical plan. Do wanna meet with the lawyers tomorrow, run what we got by 'em?" He turned enough to see that she had already gone full steam back into her research, giving him a distracted 'Mhm' as she made a couple more notes.

Shaking his head with a smirk, she was an investigator through and through, Frank sat in his own chair and began booting everything up. While he waited he pulled out his phone and sent David another request.

The house, well mansion really, that Vanessa Fisk was residing in was a pretty basic floor plan and Frank had outlined an infiltration plan in a couple of hours, leaving room for adjustments if they got any additional information from Nelson or Murdock. All said and done he figured he could have Karen and himself in and out of the house within 30 minutes, more than enough time to say what needs to be said and get out. His email pinged, David getting him the earlier requested information just in time for Frank to shift his attention to his next objective.

A few more hours passed and vaguely acknowledged Karen moving behind him before he heard the bathroom door shut. There were many moving pieces with this objective and he didn't want to miss any details so he poured over it again and again.

"What is this?" He had been aware of Karen exiting the bathroom but it still startled him a bit to hear her just over his shoulder. She could be damn quiet when she wanted to be, noted.

"It's the blueprints for Rikers, personnel list and where the high profile inmates are kept." Frank felt Karen go completely still.

"No." she said. Her voice was sharp and when he turned to look at her, her eyes never left the screen.

"What do you mean 'no'?" His own tone was sharper than he meant.

"I mean, no, Frank. You're not breaking into Rikers to kill Fisk." She finally tore her eyes from the screen to glare at him. "Are you crazy? Do you want me to wrap you up in a pretty bow for them? Go ahead and put you in an orange jumpsuit to save them the trouble so all they have to do is throw you in your cell, lock you up and throw away the key?"

Frank felt his own anger rising, "You just agreed that he needed to be put down." He stood and took a few steps toward her when she turned, tugging at her hair and cursing quietly.

She whipped around so fast her hair came undone from the loose bun she had it in, hissing at him like a feral cat, "I said the justice system fails sometimes. How the hell did you get, 'Break into a maximum security prison to murder the biggest kingpin in New York' out of that?" She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest and stared him down.

Frank advanced, stopping just in front of her, his voice dark and echoing around the room. "He's a threat Karen. He's already had too many chances at you and I'm not gonna let him have another one. He signed his own death warrant when he signed that letter to you. Besides, I've got unfinished business with him." He started to turn but Karen gripped his arm, spinning him back around.

"You are NOT breaking into Rikers, Frank. Whether or not he deserves it, I'm not letting you put yourself in that situation for me! So fucking forget it!" She was shouting, her cheeks were red and her chest heaved with her anger, it would have been a beautiful sight if he wasn't so pissed off, his own breath coming in angry bursts.

Placing a hand by her head, Frank leaned in, his voice going deadly soft, "Fisk is a dead man, Karen. There's nothing that is going to change that." He saw a shiver run through her as she looked away but when she brought her eyes back to his, his lungs seized. The fire in her blue eyes burned hotter than anger and he had to place his other hand on the wall as well to steady himself when she slid her hands under his shirt to skim up his sides.

It was his turn to shiver when she ran her nails down his sides to hook in the waist of his jeans, her voice was quiet as well when she leaned in. "I'm not asking you to let him live, Frank. I'm asking you to not throw your life away to kill him.” Her breath tickled the sensitive skin behind his ear and Frank was dizzy with the sudden shift. He wanted to still be angry but the way she was running her fingers along his waistband he found that his anger was bleeding into arousal, the adrenaline fueling something else entirely. His body was reacting to her without much input from his brain.

She pulled back to look at him and the mischief in her eyes made him step closer until they were chest to chest. Karen’s back was pressed against the wall and Frank leaned his forearm above her head, his lips ghosting over her temple, “Are you trying to distract me from the discussion, ma’am?”

Karen turned just enough to nip his jaw, one of her hands ghosting down the front of his jeans, making him clench his teeth, her voice was low as she alternated between laying dragging kisses over his jaw and sucking at his pulse-point, “That depends, is it working?”

It definitely was. Between the residual anger and adrenaline from their fight and her wicked hands running patterns over his stomach, occasionally dipping into the waist of his jeans, he was rock hard. With the hand braced above Karen’s head, he buried his fingers in her hair and lightly jerked her head around to devour her mouth. Frank felt his cock twitch when she let out a breathy moan. It seemed Karen liked a little rough handling and that was knowledge that nearly had Frank weak in the knees with need. Once he had ravaged her mouth to the point they were both panting, he started to push away from the wall and guide them over to the cot but Karen dug in her heels and kept him in place by holding on to the front of his waistband, her long fingers tucked against his skin while her thumb circled over the button.

Frank was distracted by the sight for a moment, staring down to where her hand was so close but not nearly close enough, he wanted so badly to guide her hand further but didn’t want to push too hard. However, when he looked back up to Karen, she had a determined devilish smirk on her lips and he felt the silky strands of her hair still tangled in his fingers slip free as Karen slowly slid down the wall until she was looking up at him from her knees, her eyes wide and the darkest blue he had ever seen them.

The image made Frank blink rapidly to ensure he wasn’t dreaming because if he woke up from this it damn well may kill him. When Karen leaned forward until she was directly in front of the bulge in his jeans, he held his breath. She studied him for a moment before she brought one of her hands up to cup him firmly, drawing that damned bottom lip between her teeth and suddenly the breath he had been holding left him raggedly as he watched in fascination when she dragged her teeth gently over the head of his dick through the fabric of his pants.

“Holy  _ shit _ .” His voice was broken and he was surprised he hadn’t been able to say anything considering he still hadn’t been able to refill his lungs.

Karen drew back just enough to allow her nimble fingers access to the button and zipper of his jeans, making short work of them before hooking her fingers into his pants and underwear alike and slowly tugging them down. She hummed appreciatively as he sprung free and Frank had to bite back a groan when she turned hungry eyes up to him. If there had ever been any question of the power Karen Page had over him it evaporated when she slid her hands up his thighs so she could dig strong fingers into his hips and run her tongue from base to tip of his cock, never breaking eye contact with him.

He let out a growl, burying the hand not braced against the wall into her hair, “God Dammit Karen, you’re so fuckin’ sexy.” She didn’t reply but he saw the shiver run through her body, instead she ran the flat of her tongue up him again this time wrapping her lips around the tip bobbing her head shallowly over him. Frank rested his forehead against his arm on the wall for a second, clenching that fist tightly, closing his eyes and just focusing on the sensation. Her lips felt so fucking good on him, he felt lightheaded.

His eyes snapped open and another curse escaped him when he felt one of Karen’s hands wrap around the base of his cock, her mouth sinking to where her hand was squeezing before he rocked back in time to see her full lips slowly dragging back up. Her pace was torturous but he fought to keep his hips still, letting Karen take her time. As torture goes, this was more than acceptable and Frank would endure it happily.

Having Karen Page, a woman so fierce and strong, on her knees in front of him was a humbling experience for Frank and he extricated his fingers from her hair only to reverently push them back through the silken strands, pulling it out of her face and gripping it loosely at the crown of her head. Her lips leave him with a soft pop and she looks up at him with hooded eyes when she strokes him firmly with expert hands. Frank lowered his hand from the wall to run a calloused thumb over her bottom lip, smearing a bit of saliva across the swollen skin. She catches his digit between those sinful lips and swirls her tongue over it before sucking lewdly, rolling her palm over the head of his cock at the same time. Frank has to remove his hand from her hair to lean against the wall once more when his knees threaten to give out.

Releasing his thumb, Karen gives him an innocent smile which, considering the proficient way she was building him towards release, was far from innocent. He gives her smirk of his own, burying his other hand in her hair this time and slowly, giving her a chance to protest, guides her back to his straining dick. She purrs, parting her lips slightly, just enough to drag them down one side of him and back up the other before she opens again and takes as much of him as she can. Frank growls at the sensation, he’s too big for her to take him completely in her mouth, but she doesn’t flinch when he feels himself bump against the back of her throat.  _ Goddamn _ . As if he didn’t already worship this woman enough. She moved fluidly back and forth over him, her hands alternately gripping and pumping him to groping at his hips and thighs. 

The telltale coiling of pressure at the base of his spine had Frank tightening his fingers in Karen’s hair urging her to move faster. She didn’t need much encouragement, bobbing her head quickly, her hands moving in tandem with her talented mouth. He was on fire, he felt sweat dripping down his spine and every muscle in his body was straining to reach his release. 

Frank never tore his eyes from her face as he ground out a warning, “I’m coming,  _ fuck _ , Karen-” She hummed against him and snapped her eyes open to watch him, never slowing her pace. It only took a couple more pumps from her and Frank was letting out a low gravely shout, leaning heavily into the wall as his orgasm tore through him. A deep moan escaped him as Karen continued to work him over, drawing every last bit of his release from him. When he had the strength to open his eyes again he watched as Karen sat back from him, holding his gaze as she swallowed, giving him a knowing smirk when he growled lowly at the sight.

He tugged gently at the hair he still had fisted in his hand and helped her back to her feet. Before she could say anything, Frank had her pressed against the wall once more, kissing her with all the gratitude and adoration he was feeling. When he pulled back he shook his head, smirking at her smug expression. His voice was rough, still recovering, as he attempted to reprimand her, “You don’t fight fair, Ms. Page.”

She smiled coyly at him, “Yeah, well, all’s fair in love and war and all that.”

Frank gave a huffing laugh, pressing his lips over hers in a quick kiss. “The discussion isn’t over, just to be clear.”

Karen’s smile grew before it turned into a yawn. Taking her hand, Frank pushed away from the wall and moved them toward the cot. 

“What are you doing? I still have stuff I want to go over.” She asked even as she stifled another yawn. 

“It’s been a long couple o’ days, we need to get some sleep. We can sort out the rest tomorrow.” Truth be told, if it were just him, he would stay up all night until he had everything planned to his liking but he didn’t just have his own health and safety to look after at the moment so Frank climbed into the cot first before pulling her down and tucking her between him and the wall and tugging the blanket over both of them. Despite her protests, Karen tucked into his side, burying her face in his neck with an arm thrown over his chest and was breathing deeply in a matter of moments. He wasn’t far behind, turning just enough to be able to drape an arm over her waist, Frank breathed her in, honeysuckle and vanilla, and drifted off as well.


	9. Well I Wish I Could Say That I've Never Been Here Before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super emotional sexy times in this chapter.

The next day found them in an unfamiliar diner across town, Frank and Karen on one side, Matt and Foggy on the other. Karen fidgeted with her straw wrapper, trying not to look as nervous as she felt. When she glanced up she noticed Frank and Matt were having a ‘staring’ contest of sorts, both scowling deeply at the other. Foggy was trying to act casual but she could see tension in every inch of his face. 

Letting out a long suffering sigh, Karen snapped her hand down on the table bringing all eyes to her. “Listen, if you two want to make moon eyes at each other the entire time, that’s fine, Foggy and I can get another booth and discuss the situation.”

Matt had the decency to look a bit sheepish and Frank gave her what she was coming to understand as an apologetic look before he sat back in the booth to rest his arm behind her on the seat. When she looked over to Foggy, he was doing his best not to laugh, a smirk tugging at his lips. If it weren’t for his unease around Frank he would be outright laughing. 

Matt cleared his throat, “You said you knew who was behind the attempts on your life?”

Karen opened her mouth to respond but Frank snorted before taking a quick drink of his coffee. His voice was casual but he was clearly antagonizing, “Yeah, Murdock, it’s someone who should be in the ground instead of a jail cell.”

Squeezing Frank’s knee under the table, Karen turned a withering glare at him. There was no apologetic look this time, he just shrugged and took a longer drink of his coffee. Matt, for his part, didn’t respond, just clenched his hands around his own coffee and kept his attention on Karen.

It was Foggy’s turn to jump in, his eyes wide with disbelief, “How is that even possible? He’s under constant surveillance and his contact is limited. Brett has been checking in personally to ensure that he isn’t getting special treatment like last time.”

Another sigh, this one defeated, escaped Karen before she answered, “Because he still has enough money and power to get around the justice system. We’ve slowed him down putting him behind bars but I think it was more just an inconvenience for him. What we have found over the past couple of weeks is that he was using me more as a diversion to distract from what he was trying to accomplish.” Karen launched into the particulars of what they had found, being sure to lower her voice whenever the waitress would return or other patrons strolled by. When she mentioned Vanessa being the outside link, Matt let out a quiet curse. 

“Okay, so what is our plan then?” Foggy asked. Karen gave him an affectionate smile, he was all business now, whatever discomfort he had disintegrated when there was work to do. 

“Well, for the legal side of things, the plan is giving you all of the information and evidence we have found and see what avenues you can find to legally sink her. However,” Karen drags her bottom lip through her teeth, “Some of the information we obtained...less legally? So you may not be able to use all of it in court if we get to that.” Matt scowled while Foggy raised an amused eyebrow at her.

“Ms. Page, we leave you to your own devices and suddenly you are an investigative reporter, PI  _ and _ a hacker? I’m so impressed at how you keep gaining these valuable skills!” Foggy smiled teasingly at her while Karen shook her head at him, smiling herself.

“Don’t forget Counselor, she also has the ability to find trouble anywhere she goes and an incredible talent with sarcasm.” Frank spoke up, taking a bite of toast before smirking at Karen as she gaped at him.

Foggy let out a choking sound, sucking his cheeks in to hold in his laughter, “Man, he does know you Karen.” Matt was even smirking through his scowl.

“Shut up, all of you.” she grumbled but she couldn’t help but smirk, “ _ Anyway _ , that is the legal side of it. The less than legal side of it, we are going to go to Vanessa’s estate and I am going to talk to her about lifting the contract on my life.”

Matt tilted his head slightly, ‘When you say ‘we’...” his voice was the slightest bit strained with a hint of antagonism.

“Frank and I. You as well if you want to as long as you agree to go in as a team.” She did her best to ignore Matt’s tone. To his credit, Frank kept quiet and just sipped at his coffee but Karen could see everything he wanted to say, clear on his face.

“I really don’t think it’s necessary for Frank to be involved any longer. We don’t really need a murderer present to have a discussion with someone.” The antagonism was strong now.

Karen and Foggy simultaneously put their faces in their hands while Frank let out a scoff. 

“Christ, you really are an alter boy all the way, huh?” Frank gave a cutting smile as he shook his head and then leaned forward to rest his forearms on the table, closer to Matt, “You can take your sanctimonious bullshit and shove it right up your ass, Red. They are after Karen, she’s the one that has done all the investigation, that means she gets to decide who is on her team. Not you. And if I have to choose between killing a shit bag and keeping Karen alive, you bet your ass I’ll take them out.”

“Yeah, well, she’s always had clouded judgement when it comes to you so maybe it shouldn’t be her call.” As soon as he finished speaking, Matt’s face scrunched up with regret. Foggy was looking at his friend, aghast, and Frank had sat back and was chuckling lowly. Karen was glaring so icily at Matt she was surprised he hadn’t started shivering.

Karen smacked Frank in the stomach with the back of her hand causing him to grunt and hunch over slightly before she leaned in towards Matt across from her. “I really hope I didn’t just hear you say that Matt because if we are going to talk about clouded judgement I can give you a whole list of shitty calls you have made.”

“Karen-”

“And for the record,  _ this _ is why I didn’t come to you. Now, I’m going to be mature enough to pretend you didn’t just say that and get back to the plan. So you can keep your patronizing bullshit to yourself and just listen, got it?” Her voice brokered no argument and Matt, very smartly, just nodded.

Foggy looked between Frank, Matt and Karen before heaving a deep sigh, “Karen, not to agree too much with the idiot next to me but I don’t like the idea of being part of a plan where murder is an option.”

Frank clicked his tongue but didn’t say anything as Karen glared at him once more. “I know Foggy.” She paused to smile at the waitress as she dropped off Frank’s eggs and bacon and her own food of yogurt and fruit. She saw Frank eyeballing her plate but ignored him to respond to Foggy, “We have already discussed that. It looks like most of the personnel at her estate is a hired security company, not criminals so they won’t be killed.”

Matt gave a derisive snort that resulted in Foggy elbowing him sharply in the ribs before saying, “And what about the ones that are criminals?”

“As long as they don’t threaten Karen, I promise to be on my best behaviour Counselor.” Frank looked at her plate pointedly. “Is that all you got to eat?”

“Yeah, I’m not that hungry.” She murmured before she turned back to Foggy, “I’m going to do everything I can to ensure we talk to Vanessa with no casualties.” As she spoke, Karen saw Frank move two pieces of his bacon to her plate and bit her cheek to keep from smiling. When she turned her attention back to Foggy, he had been watching as well, there was a look of bewilderment on his face, like he couldn’t quite comprehend what he was seeing.

“Well, I guess that is all I can really ask at this point, I’m just glad you are back and safe. It is getting so  _ boring _ at the office without you.” Foggy said.

Matt looked offended as Karen laughed, “Well, I hope to be back in the office by next week at the latest. I can only imagine what kind of disarray you left my desk in.”

They chatted over their food, mostly catching Karen up on things she’d had missed while she was gone, cases that had been completed, new cases on the docket and any ridiculous gossip that had been picked up at Josie’s. Matt jumped in every once in a while but he and Frank stayed silent for most of the meal after that.

Once the food was gone and everything had been discussed, they all stood to pay for their meals and go off in various directions to begin preparing for their respective parts of the plan. As she moved to the register, Karen felt Frank’s hand at the small of her back, a steady, reassuring weight as they waited for the person in front of them to finish up. She wondered if she would always be so aware of him, if every little touch would always feel so important and monumental. She hoped so. 

Foggy took off first with a promise to dig into the files Karen planned on sending over as soon as he received them but first he had a coffee date with Marci that he couldn’t miss. With a tight hug for Karen and respectful nod to Frank he turned and made his way to the closest taxi.

Karen gave Matt a quick hug and promised to call later with an address and started to turn away but he grabbed her elbow before she got far. She could feel Frank tense behind her but he didn’t say anything. She looked expectantly at Matt.

“Karen, look, I-,” he sounded strained for a second and took a moment to collect his thoughts, “I’m sorry about earlier alright? I know you are capable of taking care of yourself and it was a real asshole thing for me to say.”

She raised her eyebrows, “Ya think?” She relented however, she knew it wasn’t an easy thing for Matt to be around Frank, especially since he could probably tell with his fancy superpowers that there was something going on between them. “I know, Matt, it’s okay. Just, try to have a little more faith in me, okay?”

Giving the hand he had on her arm a reassuring squeeze she attempted to leave again but Matt kept his grip firm.  _ Oh for Chrissake, what now? _ She squared her shoulders, forcing him to drop his hand, and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for him to say what was obviously on his mind.

“Why don’t you come stay with me or Foggy?” Karen started to protest but he pressed on, “You said you were staying in some warehouse, that can’t be comfortable. We can finalize everything at my place and you’ll still be safe.” 

“No.”

Matt looked at a loss, like the only real option was going with him and the fact that she refused was beyond comprehension.

“Why?” he asked.

Karen chewed on her bottom lip as she studied him for a second. She had the urge to shake him which was not unusual with Matt Murdock but she settled for a quiet, “You know why, Matt.” before turning to walk back to where Frank was waiting. She didn’t have to look at Frank’s face to know he was looking smugly at Matt and rolled her eyes when he slung an arm over her shoulder as they walked away.  _ I’m going to hurt them both. _

She gave him a sweet smile and then promptly pinched his side, causing him to step away quickly with a quiet curse.

“What the hell was that for?” he asked, rubbing the spot. He tried to sound angry but she heard the underlying amusement in his tone.

“You know why, Frank.”

They spent the day going over details and making sure they didn’t miss anything important. Karen had forwarded her files over to Foggy and had answered a couple calls from him for her input on clarifying some finer points. 

Karen was pulled from her hundredth time of scanning the folder she put together by Frank beckoning to her.

“Hey, come over here for a sec.” He waved her over with one hand while the other was digging around in a container that appeared to be full of tactical gear. Pushing away from her computer with a long stretch, she made her way over to where he stood and watched him pull out a couple of bulletproof vests.

She raised an eyebrow at him but he just shrugged and stepped in front of her with one of them. He strapped her in with ease and went over the garment critically, checking how it fit and laid on her frame and said, “I’ll occasionally acquire them after finishing a job. I wanted to see if any of these fit you or if I am going to need to find one before tomorrow night.”

Karen looked down at herself as he tugged and shifted the garment and said skeptically, “Is this really necessary?”

Frank stopped what he was doing, two fingers tucked into the vest at her chest and gaped at her disbelievingly.

“Alright, alright it was just a question.” She gave a small laugh and let him maneuver her around to take the vest off.

He apparently wasn’t satisfied with the fit of that one because he tossed it back into the container before grabbing another and starting the process again. “To answer that question, you wouldn’t be going into that place without one. Maybe the guys working there aren’t criminals but they are there to do a job. If they see us as a threat, which I’m betting they will, they will probably take some shots so you need to have protection.”

He focused fully on the task at hand and seemed more pleased with the fit of this vest but she could see the worry creeping into his eyes, no doubt imagining all of the scenarios in which the plan could go wrong. Karen caught his hand checking the straps at her side and held it between hers, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles.

“It’s going to be fine. We are just going there to talk, it’s not like we are facing down a psycho with a bomb or escaping through elevator shafts or anything.” Her gallows humor had the desired effect for a second, his lips quirking a bit at the corners.

It faded quickly though, his eyes going serious and grim, his voice solemn, “I know how quickly things can go wrong, normal one second and batshit crazy the next. People there with you one second and then gone the next.”

Karen’s heart gave a painful lurch and she felt her eyes start to prickle so she stepped into him quickly, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Thinking of everything Frank had lost always made her weepy and she didn’t want him to have to deal with her tears when he was the one who should be upset. She felt his arms settle around her shoulders and his head rested against hers and for a moment they just swayed together gently.

After a moment though, Frank stepped back, placed a soft kiss to her forehead and began to pull off the vest.

“This one fits pretty well, I think it will work well for tomorrow.” He placed it next to his, the emblazoned skull stark against the black material, which lay atop his selected arsenal for tomorrow. “Have you heard from the counselor? Got anything he can use?”

Karen sighed, “Yeah, there are a few things he would be able to use against her, some illegal trading and some potentially forfeit art but nothing as serious as I would like but it may be enough. At least to get them off my case.”

Frank nodded and she saw him thinking about his next question.  _ Here we go. _ And she wasn’t disappointed.

“Have you heard from Murdock?”

“No”

“Have you contacted Murdock?”

“ _ No _ .” she answered a bit more curtly.

Frank held up a placating hand, “If he is going to be part of the plan, he needs to know where we are going.”

He was right of course but she was still a little annoyed at both of them. “I’ll text him the address and where we intend to meet. You sure you two are okay to work together? You seem like you would rather glare and bitch at each other.”

Frank scoffed, “Red’s a pain in the ass but he isn’t a bad ally to have on your side. If he could just stop being so preachy, we would get along just fine.”

Karen shook her head with a small smile, “You’re not wrong, I suppose. On the flip side, I’m sure he thinks if you were less murdery you’d get along just fine.”

He gave her a wry grin, “I guess neither one of us are going to get what we want, huh?”

She couldn’t help but laugh, walking away from him to go back to her task, “No, I guess not.”

\-----

Frank watched Karen go back to her desk to pour over everything again. Nothing will have changed since the last time she looked but he knew it was a good distraction for her. In the meantime he needed to make sure he had all the gear he needed and was ready himself. He still didn’t like the idea that not only was Karen going into the den of the enemy but he had to also attempt to get her in and out without any fatalities. As much as Murdock annoyed him, Frank was glad he would be there as well, it would allow him to focus more fully on Karen’s safety.

Sitting across the room, Frank began running through his mental checklist, he wanted to have time to hunt down any needed supplies before go-time. This was a top priority mission with very precious cargo and he was  _ not _ going to fuck it up. Every mission or war he had waged over the past several months was nowhere near as important as the one he was preparing for, failure was not an option.

He’d need to pick up some more ammo for his .45, realistically he probably had enough but he’d rather be over prepared. Frank glanced up when he heard a thoughtful noise from Karen, a detail catching her attention. He watched as she buried long graceful fingers into the pale spun gold of her hair with one hand, while the other skimmed the document, occasionally tapping out a rhythm on the table. For a second he was transported to the previous night, those long locks sliding between his fingers while she was on her knees in front of him. Her teeth pulled at her bottom lip as she worked and Frank couldn’t help but watch the slide of her tongue when she wet her lips.

When he realized he was outright staring at her he shook his head and went back to the task at hand. For God’s sake he was acting like a horny, head over heels teenager. First that little dominance stunt he pulled with Murdock, huffing out a laugh he rubbed the spot Karen had pinched him, and now he was ogling her while she worked. It was amazing how fast the switch was flipped in his mind of him thinking of Karen as his. He really needed to get a grip. Frank still wasn’t sure he made the right call, agreeing to give a relationship a shot. He was still dangerous to be around and the thought of him bringing even more danger to Karen’s life made him nauseous. The thing was, it was obvious that Karen would be in trouble at some point whether he was there or not and the thought of him not being there to help her  _ also _ made him nauseous. 

Maybe it was a bad idea….but god he wanted it. He could pretend he was alright with the solitude and all the nights alone but that delusion was quickly fading. The past couple of weeks, waking up with someone in bed next to him again, was like a breath of fresh air he didn’t know he needed. Like an ache in his joints he wasn’t aware of until they were gone. Even cramped on the little cot with Karen who was just as tall as him and threw a mean elbow in her sleep, was the most comfortable he had been...well, since Maria. The feeling of waking up to Karen’s softness and warmth, her smile and morning quips, was like a drug and the mere thought of going back to the way things were had him feeling like he was going through withdrawals.

It didn’t really do any good to debate it with himself at this point, he had told Karen he would give it a shot and wouldn’t lie to her. So they would take care of the issue at hand and then he would man up and keep his word. However, if it looked like he was bringing too much danger into her life, he was gone, no questions asked. Well, probably anyway. He had a feeling Karen Page was becoming a major guiding force in his life and he may not have a choice on if he goes or stays.

Shaking his head, Frank ran through the remainder of his list and decided to grab some more ammo for Karen’s .380 while he was at it. He set everything back in place and stood, rolling his shoulders back to work out the knots and headed over to grab a jacket and pull on his boots. When he stood from lacing them up he noticed Karen was watching him.

“I’m going to go pick up some ammo and dinner. Anything sound good to you?”

She hummed, eyeing him with a hunger that had nothing to do with food and he felt desire hit him hard in the gut. Before he could begin to make his way across the room though, she gave him a coy smile, her voice mischievous, “Japanese sounds good. Some sushi? Maybe Katsudon if they have it, yakisoba if they don’t?”

Raising an eyebrow at her, he turned to pull the jacket on. “Japanese it is. I’ll be back soon, I’ll text you before I come in so you know it’s me. Keep an eye on the cameras and call me if anything looks out of the ordinary.” She nodded along as he spoke, turning back to her work but he said her name softly, it brought her attention back to him quickly. Frank gave a little smirk, “Stop being a stubborn ass and text Murdock the information.”

He stepped around the closest object to dodge the pencil that had been lobbed at him and made his way to the exit. He didn’t care one way or the other if Murdock actually accompanied them, it would be helpful sure, but they would be fine without him. However, he knew it was important to Karen to keep her friends in the loop, a pact they had made she didn’t want to break. 

The air was chilly when he stepped out into the dusk, heading in the direction of the subway, he needed to go a ways to get to the shop he was wanting. He walked quickly, eyeing his surroundings casually and jumping on the train just before the doors closed. It took about 15 minutes to get to his stop and he emerged onto the street about another 10 minutes walk from his destination.

Frank was nearly there when he felt the prickle on the back of his neck so he stepped into the next alleyway and kept his hand ready to reach for the gun at his hip. However, only one person he knows could land that softly out of nowhere so he wasn’t surprised when he turned to see Murdock frowning at him from behind his mask.

“Evening, Red.” 

Murdock gave a small nod and a quiet, “Frank.” Before resuming his pensive silence.

Frank waited another minute before shifting impatiently, “Did ya have somethin’ you wanted to say or….? I kinda have some errands to run and a hungry private investigator waiting for me. I have a fair idea of how grumpy she can be when hungry and would like to avoid that if I can.”

Matt’s face turned a bit more sour, his stance stiffening even more. “She shouldn’t be there. She should be somewhere safe. Somewhere away from you.”

Letting out a long suffering sigh, Frank tucked his hands deep into his pockets and balled them into fists. “You’re not entirely wrong Red but the fact of the matter is that is where she decided to be and you of all people should know that telling her to do something else would not go well.”

The other man gave a begrudging nod but didn’t look put at ease. When he spoke again he had his lawyer facade on, trying to dig for information, “What exactly is your relationship with Karen?”

Frank went still, his eyes narrowing at the other man and said nothing. It wasn’t any of Murdock’s business and Frank was pretty sure he knew already.

“I could smell you on her, at the diner.” His voice was accusatory.

“Well that is officially the weirdest thing you’ve ever said to me, Red. Also the creepiest.” A very immature, alpha male part of his brain swelled with pride at the knowledge that there was no mistaking that Karen had chosen to be with him. He nearly chuckled when he thought of how quickly she would put him in his place if she knew he was thinking like that. “What does it matter to you anyway?”

“You know why it matters Frank. You are still killing, making enemies and starting wars. Karen deserves better than that. Better than you.”

“You’re not wrong there either.” Frank closed the distance between them, bringing them toe to toe, his voice dropped low, a mix of building anger and antagonism, “Is that the only reason,  _ Murdock?  _ I remember seeing you two back then, holding hands, standing close. How she watched you with so much admiration in the courtroom, when you showed up, that is. Now, she doesn’t want to stay with you, despite being in danger. So is it really that you want to protect Karen or is it that your ego can’t take the fact that you royally fucked up and lost a beautiful, intelligent, brave and loyal woman? To a  _ murderer _ no less. _ ” _

Matt snarled muscles tensing as though preparing for a fight but Frank’s phone chimed alerting him to a message. His adrenaline spiked, brain always going to the worst case scenario first and Matt must have picked up on it because he took half a step back. Pulling the phone out of his pocket, Frank relaxed when he read the message.

_ “Shrimp Shumai as well, please. Don’t forget chopsticks, I don’t trust the silverware you have here not to give me tetanus.” _

Frank shook his head with a smirk, tapping back a quick ‘Yes, Ma’am’, before tucking the phone in his pocket again. Matt’s head was tilted to listen and his features had relaxed from anger and disgust to mild annoyance and disbelief. 

“I don’t deserve her, Murdock, you’re right about that. The problem is, I’ve pushed her away time and time again and we just keep endin’ up back in each other’s space. I’ll never argue with you that Karen Page is too good for me but she asked me to give this a chance and goddamn it, I owe it to her to try. I know I’m one lucky motherfucker that she chose me of all people, you don’t have to tell me.”

Matt looked downright defeated, “You love her.” It wasn’t a question.

Clicking his tongue and stepping around the other man, Frank walked back towards the main sidewalk, “I ain’t even talked to her about that Red so I’ll be damned if I talk to you about it. Check your phone, she should be sending you the information for tomorrow night.” With that, he stepped around the corner and walked the remaining few blocks to the gun store. He did love Karen, but now he was wondering if love encompassed everything he felt for her. Frank was starting to feel complete in a way he hadn’t since he still had his family. That large piece of his life would always be missing, god he missed them every second of every day, but Karen was becoming the glue that held the rest of his pieces together. His air when he was suffocating. The stones in his foundation when it started to crumble. Love was only a part of the things he felt for Karen Page.

It was another hour and a half before he had the ammo and food in hand, heading back to the safe house. He texted Karen to alert her that he would be there soon and when he stepped through the door and into the living area of the building, she was right where he had left her. 

“Welcome back, took you long enough.” She barely turned from the papers but he saw the teasing lilt to her lips anyway.

“The lady wanted shrimp shumai, the only place to get shumai in this city is Mei’s so I had to go a little out of my way to get it.” Frank set the food down at the table and plucked the container with the shumai out of the bag. He walked over to Karen, popping the lid open to waft the delicious smelling steam in her direction, enticing her to leave the desk.

Karen let out an appreciative groan at the smell, pushing her chair back and following closely behind him. She settled down at the table and pointed at him accusingly with the chopsticks Frank handed her, “I know of at least three places to get shumai and I know at least one of them was pretty close to where you were going.”

“Yes but the only place you  _ should _ get shumai from is Mei’s.” His voice was deep with conviction when he pointed his chopsticks right back at her.

Karen barked out a quick laugh, “Unbelievable, a burger snob, a coffee snob AND a Japanese cuisine snob. The surprises keep coming.” However, when she took a bite of the first morsel, her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head with pleasure. She snapped her eyes to his quickly to see if he caught her, which of course he did, with a knowing, smug smirk. “Alright, you win this one Castle.”

Frank thought about mentioning the fact he ran into Murdock but she would want to know what they discussed and he wasn’t sure he was ready to go down the rabbit hole just yet. So instead they talked about their favorite places for asian food and occasionally discussed details of tomorrow’s mission. Thankfully she mentioned she had texted the information to Murdock so he didn’t have to bring it up again.

Once they were full and leftovers were packed away in the small fridge, it was time to call David and ensure that everything on his end was set as well. The phone rang a couple of times before he answered.

“ _ Hello friends! Ready to talk super spy stuff and breaking and entering?”  _ His voice was cheerful and already grating on Frank’s nerves.

“Cut the shit, David. You got everything you need?”

“ _ I want to talk to Karen. She’s nicer than you.”  _ There was an unmistakable pout in his voice.

“David…” Frank growled. Karen hid a laugh behind her hand. He gave her a pleading ‘don’t encourage him’ look and turned his attention back to the phone.

“... _ And prettier. Fine. Yes, everything is in order. I’ll walk you through setting up the comm pieces tonight so all you have to do tomorrow is turn them on and double check the frequency. There haven’t been any changes to the personnel schedule and the layout of the house hasn’t changed over the past two days.” _

Over the next hour they activated and synced up their comms, checking for any bugs, and outlined the time frame they hoped to maintain for getting in and out.

“ _ Hey, uh, I noticed you only requested the two ear pieces, was there a change of plan? Daredevil no longer assisting?”  _

“No change of plan. He won’t need an earpiece, he will be able to hear just fine.” Karen’s voice was one of begrudging acceptance.

“ _ Okay then, well, then I think we’ve done everything we can for today. I’ll be in touch tomorrow at 10. Now, I need to go to dinner or I have the real potential of sleeping on the couch tonight.” _

Without preamble, the line went dead, the screen of the phone flashing the call time for just a moment before going dark.

Karen gave a little snort, “What an interesting change of events, usually it’s you hanging up on him.”

“I guess the prospect of sleeping on the couch is more motivating than getting on my damn nerves.” Frank said gruffly as he put the phone on charge next to the comm equipment. When he looked back at Karen, she had an unreadable look on her face. 

“What?” he asked.

“If he bothers you that much, why do you keep in touch? I know he is an incredible hacker but you are crafty and would be able to figure something else out.” Karen asked, leaning on the table and regarding him curiously.

Frank gave a deep sigh. David did endlessly wear on his nerves but he cared for the man and his family. “David just...doesn’t know when to shut up. That being said, he’s a good guy. He’s reliable and a good person.” When he looked over there was a smug look on Karen’s face and he felt like he just walked into a trap.

“So...you care about him? Behind all the mean words and mask of indifference he’s your  _ friend.” _ She looked so proud of herself, blue eyes sparkling and her head tilted as she watched him.

Frank shook his head turning away from her, “ _ Christ _ . You're just as bad as he is. I’m takin’ a shower.” He could feel her eyes following him as he grabbed a change of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. She wasn’t wrong, he did care about David and his family. Very much in fact, but he wasn’t going to admit it  _ out loud. _ It could make it back to David and Frank would never have peace again. 

The hot water was doing wonders for his knotted muscles. Preparing for tomorrow had left him anxious and processing his feelings for Karen furthered that anxiety because he knew how easy it was for things to go wrong. He could lose her tomorrow and it had him on edge all day. It would be his luck that he would finally accept what he feels for Karen, just for it to be taken away immediately. If it were just him going in he would be unaffected, if he got injured or killed it will have been worth it to keep her safe. But Karen was going to be with him, just as close to danger as he would be.

The shifty plumbing gave a groan and sputtered a quick deluge of ice water over him before going back to hot so he finished washing off quickly before he got another rude surprise.

He found as he stepped out of the shower he was more tired than he thought, his muscles finally loosened a bit so he didn’t feel quite so much like a spring that was wound too tight. However, as he tossed his towel over the curtain rod of the shower, Frank gave a quiet curse as his brain started sprinting down the same roads it had been running all day. Just that quick he felt his shoulders drawing back up towards his ears, muscles coiling and ready to fight.  _ Christ _ he couldn’t wait for this to be over so he could be the normal amount of anxious over Karen’s well being. Throwing on some boxer briefs and low slung sweatpants he made to leave the cramped room.

A small cloud of steam followed him out of the bathroom before Frank started toward the cot. Karen was already laid down with one of his books open in her hand as she sprawled over their makeshift bed. Suddenly, Frank felt like he had been hit in the chest with a sledgehammer and his coiled muscles were prepared for an entirely new action.

Karen had grabbed one of his shirts to wear to bed, something that would have been enough to turn him on in general but due to their similar height the shirt just barely brushed the tops of her thighs. Frank’s gaze traveled from the tips of her toes up her impossibly long legs and fixated on the spot where the shirt had ridden up, exposing a hip bone where the thin black strap of her underwear contrasted exquisitely with her creamy skin. He could just glimpse the curve of her perfectly shaped ass the way she was laying but it was enough to spark something in him. Frank was suddenly a man starved. Hyperfocus that he tends to save for the battlefield is now fixated on the woman just across the room from him to the point everything else blurs and she is the only thing in focus.

Karen must feel his gaze on her because she lowers the book a fraction to meet his eyes. He sees her breath catch and her eyes widen when their gazes lock. Carefully she sets the book aside, her eyes leaving his to slowly drag down his body. Frank felt his temperature spike when he watched her hungrily take him in, her pupils blowing wide and her bottom lip unconsciously pulling between her teeth. It amazed him how expressive Karen was with just that bottom lip.

“I, um, ran out of comfortable sleeping clothes so I borrowed one of your shirts. I hope that is okay?” Her voice was small, uncertain. If Frank were more stable at the moment, he would feel guilty that she would feel so unsure about taking what she needed from him. Of course he didn’t mind, in fact, he would encourage it any chance he got.

When he didn’t answer, Karen looked even more unsure, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have presumed. I can grab one of my old-” She began to wrap long fingers around the hem as though she were going to pull the shirt off.

“Don’t. Move.” The words came out commanding, a simmering heat in his voice that was deep and full of gravel, his desire filling the words with a thousand promises. Karen froze at the order and when she drew that damned bottom lip between her teeth again and he saw the full body shiver of her reacting to him, Frank couldn’t stop himself from crossing the room. He moved steadily, long, methodical strides that had him at the foot of the cot quickly.

From this new vantage point he could see the pretty blush starting across her cheeks and down her neck to disappear under the shirt at her collarbone. She was perfection. Slowly, he placed a knee on the bottom corner of the bed, Karen watching his every move with rapt attention.

Another full body shiver ran through her when he caressed her ankles with hands he could no longer keep idle. There was a growl that he belatedly realized came from him before he was bent over, dragging teeth over the exposed flesh of her hip, the breathy noise Karen released spurring his actions. Frank’s hands slid up the smooth backs of her thighs that now bracketed his chest until he had two glorious handfuls of her ass. 

“ _ Frank.”  _ Fuck, the way she said his name. She had a way of putting everything into those five letters, all breathy want and desire. He was so hard it almost hurt, the need to be inside her so strong Frank was almost delirious from it. He snapped his eyes up to hers from his spot at her hip, where he continued to drag his tongue along her skin, nipping and sucking at her where he saw fit. He followed her panty line, nudging the shirt out of the way as he went. Karen’s eyes never left his but the air caught in her chest when his hands slid around to grip her underwear as he continued to cover her skin with pink marks. 

He could smell her and god, she smelled sweet. Frank let out a small sound of need and began tugging away the barrier between them. He had reached her other hipbone, nipping the soft skin there before sitting back to fully remove her underwear and then she was gloriously bare to him, only his shirt bunched up around her midsection. He took a moment to take her in, lips glistening with arousal and a blush spreading over her inner thighs. It was his turn to pull his bottom lip through his teeth, taking a moment to decide where he wanted to start. Leaning down again, Frank tucked his arms under Karen’s thighs, wrapping them around the outside so his hands were at her hips to get a good grip and tugged her roughly to the edge of the cot.

She let out a little yelp in surprise and when Frank looked at her again, the shirt had rucked up around her chest when he scooted her down. Her graceful arms were above her head where they had settled after her startled movement. She was a fucking sight. Frank knelt on the cold concrete floor and settled her legs over his shoulders, moving slowly and deliberately, his entire focus on devouring the woman in front of him.

Giving an appreciative groan, Frank leaned in, dragging a kiss over Karen’s inner thigh before switching to the other leg. Next, he ran his tongue up the crease of her leg, mere centimeters from his destination. Karen’s hips were beginning to sway towards his mouth, rising and falling with each tempting swipe of his mischievous tongue.

As he was laving a slow kiss to the top of her mound Karen gave a quiet curse causing Frank to glance up at her with a devastating smirk. 

“Something wrong Ma’am?” his voice was impossibly deep and rough.

She reacted like his voice was a physical touch, closing her eyes and shivering before she looked at him again, the blue of her irises dark with her need, voice husky with restrained desire. “If you don’t touch me soon Frank I’m going to lose my goddamn mind.”

His answering chuckle was rich and dark and it vibrated through every spot their bodies were connected. What Karen didn’t know was he was torturing himself as much as he was her, every fiber of his being screaming to do more, to drive her crazy, make her scream for him. Frank finally relented, giving a slow languid lick to her center, just barely parting her folds. Both let out a groan and before Frank could convince himself to keep the pace slow, he was drinking her in like he’d not had water in years.

There was longer any finesse to his movements, lewd noises filling the room as he licked and sucked at her, letting out appreciative growls and grunts as she moved under him.  _ Fuck _ she tasted good, her breathless moans and little curses, her beautiful lips saying his name when he pressed just right, all driving him mad with need. When Frank opened his eyes he let out a long low groan at the sight. Karen was gripping the blankets above her head with one hand so tight her knuckles were white, her eyes screwed shut while her mouth was open and panting. Her other hand had pushed the shirt over her breasts and was tweaking a nipple in time with the firm strokes of his tongue.

It was all too much, he needed to be in her, and soon. Never taking his eyes off of her, Frank closed his full lips over her clit and gave it a hard suck. Karen’s back arched off the cot prettily and her breathing stalled. Lifting her hips slightly he did again before quickly dragging a firm tongue over repeatedly. It only took two more strokes before she went completely rigid, a keening moan the only sound she was able to make. 

Frank softened his ministrations, licking at her softly until her hand snaked into his hair to tug him away gently. He pulled just enough to nip her thigh before he rested his cheek there and looked up at her. She was gloriously disheveled, chest still rising rapidly with each breath, lips parted and eyes glassy and distant as she came down from her high.

Slowly, Karen came back to herself and she gave him a devastating little smile, her voice throaty and sated, though he saw the hunger building in her gaze again, “Goddamn, Castle. You’ve been hiding your finer skill sets from me.”

He gave a quiet laugh, trying to not let his pride show too much on his face, “Happy to be of service, ma’am.” 

Slowly he stood, tugging at the drawstring of his sweatpants as he did, Karen watching the movement with intense focus. Frank slid pants and underwear off in a smooth movement before he started to crawl after Karen as she scooted back up the cot. Working together, his shirt was peeled up and over her head to be discarded somewhere on the floor.T hey didn’t have much room on the small bed but neither seemed to mind as he settled between her thighs and their lips met. The kiss was slow and dragging, tongues sliding together deliciously and little gasps escaping when they drew back long enough to change their angles.

Frank’s arm had traveled up to bury a large hand in her hair, something he found was quickly becoming one of his favorite things to do, his forearm bracing the side of her face as he continued to ravage her mouth. Slowly, he began to grind his cock against her core, dragging it through her folds torturously. Her hips met him at every thrust and finally,  _ finally _ , he let himself sink into her. 

All he could do for a moment was rest his forehead to hers, his hips stilling when he sank to the hilt, tightening his grip in her hair when she groaned and nipped at his chin. Being inside Karen was intoxicating and Frank was dizzy with pleasure that coursed through his system. He was so fucking lost on her, there was no way he could ever recover. 

Frank leaned his head back enough to watch her eyes as he slowly pulled almost completely out of her before unhurriedly sliding back into place. Her gaze never left his, though her eyes were hooded, and he saw raw emotion staring back at him. For a moment it was overwhelming so Frank focused on the leisurely push and pull of his hips, his chest tight with everything he felt. They continued like that for several moments, quiet gasps and moans punctuating the easy rhythm that Frank set. Occasionally he would break eye contact to lick and suck at her neck, Karen dragging her hands up his back to hook over his shoulders, nipping at whatever skin was presented to her, a bicep, shoulder, the underside of his jaw. He could feel her starting to tense under him, her body straining towards release. He was working steadily towards his own orgasm, the burning pleasure spreading down his spine.

When Frank pulled back to look her in the eyes again the breath stilled in his chest. There was a trail of silent tears seeping from Karen’s eyes as she looked back at him. The hand in her hair dropped to her cheek to swipe the tears away tenderly. He hated to see her cry but it made him feel better to know she was feeling just as intensely as he was and when he spoke his voice was wrecked with the struggle to keep his own emotions in check, “What do you need?”

“Just...” she let out a shuddering breath and brought her hands to the back of his head, sliding blunt nails over his scalp, “Just don’t let go.”

A hungry desperate noise escaped from the back of his throat before he descended on her mouth. The kiss was slow but frantic, a desperation filling both of them. The hand on Karen’s cheek dropped to the side of her neck and the arm that propped him over her buried fingers into her silken hair. Frank’s thrusts sped up but they were still deliberate, grinding into her at the end of each stroke. That’s how they both came apart, her hands at the back of his head and neck, him not far behind with his own hands buried in her hair. Both of them holding on with both hands. Karen came, gasping his name in between quiet sobs and Frank came with a shuddering moan, pressing her name and kisses into the delicate skin of her temple.

For a moment they both were still, Frank was trying desperately to recover his composure and he felt Karen trying to do the same. When he did lean back again, swiping a gentle hand over her forehead to move damp hair out of her face she gave him a watery smile and he couldn’t help but return it.

Sniffing quietly, her smile turned sheepish, “I promise I’m not usually a crier during sex. I uh...just got a little overwhelmed, I think.”

Frank huffed out a little laugh, stroking a thumb over her cheekbone but before he could think of something to say, her hand came up to rest on his cheek, her eyes on him with a singular focus that wouldn’t allow him to look away.

“I love you, Frank Castle.” Karen’s voice was quiet and sincere, her eyes were watery once again but her gaze dared him to refute her.

Frank felt everything around him spin and then go completely still all at once before he drew in a quick breath and suddenly his chest was light, like a band that had been wrapped there just snapped. He was still terrified at the prospect of being loved, of loving again but looking at her, daring him to deny her, he felt like it might be worth it.

“I love you too, Karen Page.” Rough and low, the words felt so natural he wasn’t sure how he hadn’t said them before.

Just like that, the bravado left her and tears were escaping the corners of Karen’s eyes again, a smile so sweet on her lips he ached just looking at her. He leaned down to give her a tender kiss, her lips trembling lightly under his. Tsking, Frank rolled gently to the side, pulling her into his chest, banding protective arms around her, “You keep crying like that, Page, and you’re going to give me a complex.”

She gave a little laugh, thick with tears and swiped at her cheeks, “Sorry, Frank, I’ll try to keep the tears to a minimum next time. Promise.”

Humming, he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.They lay quietly like that for awhile, both awake and lost in their own thoughts. Karen was running absent minded fingers over the smooth planes of his chest while his thumb ran soothing circles over her shoulder. Eventually he felt her relaxing against him, her breathing turning deep and even. Frank could feel his own eyes falling shut, heavy as lead as he listened to her breathe. He wanted to think a bit more, run the plan through his head again before giving in to sleep, think about the monumental words Karen and he had just spoken to one another but before he could try he was snoring quietly against her forehead and neither of them moved until morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I went a little off character for Frank in some aspects of this chapter, I'm not sure if he would be smug about Karen choosing him over Matt because of his general guilt of being dangerous and being around her. Not to mention, in canon he is often pushing her towards Matt. However, I see him as being the kind of guy that is always super proud of his lady and being more than okay to rub it in other guys faces that she chose him. First with Maria and now with Karen.
> 
> I imagine he was probably pretty cocky before his life went to shit and maybe some of that is coming through again now that he has another super strong, incredible lady that chose him?
> 
> Let me know your thoughts and as always, thank you for reading!


	10. You Know and I Know That I'll Always Come Back for More

Karen came awake slowly, a sensation on her cheek pulling her from sleep. She opened bleary eyes to see Frank, hair mussed and eyes hooded, stroking her cheek with a careful thumb.

“It’s a good thing you’re awake, I was two seconds away from dumping you in the floor, my bladder was startin’ to get impatient.” His voice was rough from sleep and Karen couldn’t understand how he managed to be sexy while also being annoying.

Scoffing she gave a dramatic stretch and pushed away from him. Once she was sitting on the edge of the cot, Karen felt Frank lay a quick kiss on the back of her head as he rose and padded barefoot to the bathroom. 

Karen gave a jaw popping yawn and wondered about the time, it certainly  _ felt _ too early to be up. Glancing at the surveillance monitors it looked almost pitch black outside, only a hint of graying sky showing here and there and when she looked at her phone it confirmed it was, in fact, far too early to be awake.

“Really Frank? 5:30 am? You really think that is an acceptable time to be awake?” She asked as soon as he re-appeared from the bathroom before she made a show of crawling back under the covers and pushing her face into the pillow noisily. 

There was a soft chuckle from the direction of the coffee maker followed by the associated sounds of coffee being made, “It’s a hard habit to break. Doesn’t mean you have to be awake thou…”

She was asleep again before he finished speaking.

The next time Karen woke up it was to the demands of her own bladder. Pushing groggily out from under the blankets, she checked her phone to see a much more respectable 9 am, stretching as she stood and making her way to the bathroom. When she emerged it was with brushed teeth and a fresh face, shortly followed by her pouring a rather large cup of coffee.

Karen followed the sounds of exertion coming from somewhere in the small warehouse and came to an abrupt halt, nearly dropping her mug when she saw Frank. He had a chain around his waist and was doing pull ups on a crossbeam, straining with each rep. Karen’s eyes followed the movement, biceps bunching, abs contracting at every lift. He was actually glistening, sweat trailing down dips and planes of corded muscle and gathering at the low swung sweatpants and she didn’t think it was possible the man could be any more sexy.

That is until he dropped from beam lightly, stepping over to a punching bag to go through a series of punches to a suspended bag in the corner that allowed her to also appreciate the muscled expense of his back.  _ Goddamn, that’s not fair… _

“Can I help you with something, Miss Page?” He sounded breathless but she could still pick up the teasing lilt in the question.

Snapping her mouth shut, which she hadn’t been aware was slightly ajar, Karen took a sip of her coffee trying to think of something pithy to retort. Nothing came to mind quick enough so she just gave a grunt over her cup, continuing to watch him.

After a few moments, Frank glanced over his shoulder to see that she was still watching him, Karen gave him a smirk making a show of setting her coffee down to gesture to him to continue before crossing her arms over her chest. 

Raising an eyebrow at her, Frank gestured in the direction she had come from, “Don’t you have work to do? Something more interesting than me?”

The small smirk Karen had grew into a full blown, devious grin. It appeared the big bad Punisher got a little flustered when he had an audience. Sauntering forward, she gave a helpful shrug, “I was just checking your form.”

Frank gave an incredulous laugh, watching her with increasing interest as she moved toward him with purpose. “You a boxing professional now on top of everything else?”

“I punched a guy once. I could probably give you some pointers.” She teased as she came to a halt beside him. She hadn’t really had any intentions when she came further into the room but giving Frank a hard time was too tempting to pass up. However, now that she was standing close to him, eyes trailing from his raised eyebrows, down the column of his neck, following a rivulet of sweat as it snaked down his chest, seeing where the a small dark trail of hair on his lower abdomen disappeared below the sweatpants, she found her intentions were shifting. Her eyes slowly slid back up to Frank’s and the hunger there made her blood spike. 

He must have seen something similar in her eyes because in an instant, Frank had lifted Karen off the ground, wrapping her legs around his waist and pinning her to the wall. They came together in a kiss that was not gentle, full of nips and and lewd noises all while she was grinding into him and he was probably leaving finger shaped bruises on her hips where he gripped her and helped guide the motion.

It was frenzied and primal and Karen could barely keep up. Her hands scrabbled at his sweat slicked shoulders while he nipped at her collarbone; suddenly her underwear was being pulled aside and his pants jerked down enough to allow him to spring free and then he was inside of her, both of them groaning at the sweet friction. Karen’s nails left red lines down his shoulders where she was holding on and Frank’s punishing thrusts would no doubt leave bruises but neither were interested in slowing down or being gentle. Several minutes later, once she let out a soft shout and he let out a feral growl with their release, they stayed propped against the wall just breathing each other in.

After, as they both stepped into the small shower to clean off Karen marveled at how quickly they went from afraid to touch one another to fucking against a wall after some hot looks. She isn’t unhappy with development, mind you, but it was a pretty large shift in their dynamic. She supposed that is what years of repressed sexual tension and emotions will get you. Karen was pulled out of her musings by a cascade of cold water pouring over her from the shower head.

“Jesus  _ Christ _ !” She sputtered and nearly knocked them both out of the shower in her haste to escape the frigid water. Frank steadied them both with a curse of his own, bracing her against his chest with one arm while the other swung wide to catch the wall.

He looked concerned and confused for a moment before he felt the cold water splashing against his legs. Karen gave him a dark look when he started chuckling.

“Sorry,I probably should have warned you that sometimes the plumbing is a little unreliable.” He didn’t sound apologetic at all as he carefully righted her and reached through the spray to turn the water off. Thankfully they had both been finished, Karen was just appreciating the warm water and Frank was just appreciating the view before it turned cold. 

It didn’t take long before both of them were toweled off and dressed for the day, Karen settled at the small makeshift table with a renewed cup of coffee while Frank worked on putting something together for breakfast. He was efficient in the kitchen, just like everything else with Frank, there were no wasted movements as he threw together toast and omelets. She found herself staring again so as a distraction, Karen retrieved her phone to check for any messages. There were a few from Foggy just letting her know any tidbits he had picked up in his own research and one from Matt. It was simple and short, ‘ _ I’ll be there, let me know if you need anything’ _ .

With a small smile, she read the text a couple more times before returning to Foggy’s information so she could cross check everything after breakfast. Soon, Frank was placing plates in front of her, not so subtly scooting her phone and notes away in the process. Shaking her head, Karen picked up her fork and set to work on her breakfast. It was delicious, as it usually was when Frank cooked. 

“So what is the game plan today, I mean before the  _ game plan _ ?” She asked in between mouthfuls of eggs.

Frank regarded her carefully in between his own bites of food, his face pensive. He seemed to come to some sort of conclusion in his head because he set his fork carefully down and scooted the plate away. “Final checks on the gear and loading up the van are pretty much all that is left. And uh...convincin' you to sit this out and let me handle it?”

Karen sent him a withering look.  _ Is he being serious right now? _

“Look Karen, I can relay whatever information you need to the lady. You’ve already done so much, I can take care of the rest and you can be  _ safe. _ ”

Her look never wavered, her voice hard. “Absolutely not, I’m seeing this through Frank. End of story. It is most definitely not up for discussion.” Her own fork clattered to her plate as she sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Also, I don’t think you have the diplomatic aplomb I do. Negotiations aren’t really your style.”

Despite her small attempt at a joke, Karen was incredibly annoyed. Why did the men in her life insist on having the same conversations over and over when she had already made up her mind? Judging by Frank’s face, this was going about as well as he expected.

He held up his hands in surrender, “Alright, alright. I figured I would give it one more shot. In that case, we will go through some safety stuff after breakfast. You just being able to shoot isn’t enough.” He sounded resigned.

“Fair enough.” Karen grabbed her silverware again and resumed eating. The remainder of their breakfast was quiet and it wasn’t long before she was waving Frank away, opting to take care of clearing the small table and washing the dishes since he cooked. 

The day ended up being a strange mix of flying by and dragging on. Frank walked Karen through basic hand signals in the event they weren’t able to verbally communicate, drilling her until she could answer each signal without hesitation. Next, he showed her how she would be following him through the house, tucked closely behind him while he cleared the way. 

“I don’t like the thought of using you like a human shield. I thought that is what the bulletproof vest was for?” She asked after they walked through it a few times, practicing movements, ensuring she would stay covered while he still had full range of movement. She really didn’t like the idea of him taking a bullet for her. Again.

It was Frank’s turn to give a hard stare, “Either you use me as a human shield or you stay here,  _ that _ is not up for discussion.”

God she hated when he threw her own words back at her. Her face must have been obstinate because in a second he was standing directly in front of her.

“I said we’d do it your way and talk to this lady but we are going to get you in there  _ my way. _ Besides, military tactics and infiltration aren’t really your  _ style. _ ” His voice was serious and low but she saw his lips turn up.

_ Goddamnit he’s so annoying. _

“Fine, but if you get shot I’m gonna be really fucking mad at you so keep that in mind. Seriously, I’ll have Matt carry you back and I’ll let him preach the whole way.” She was attempting to hide her nerves and failing. The corners of Frank’s eyes crinkled in the way they did when he was trying not to be amused.

Resting his hands on either side of her face, Frank tipped her head to give her a chaste kiss before muttering, “Deal. Go rest for a bit, we can run through it again later, I’m going to check the gear.”

The rest of the day went by in a daze for Karen, alternating between practicing with Frank, napping fitfully and thinking about how she wanted to handle speaking with Vanessa. The exhausted, scared, angry part of her wanted to threaten the woman with violence, to make her understand that Karen Page was not someone to just lie down and take it. However, the logical side of her knew that tactic would only cause more issues than it would solve. 

They had a light dinner that Karen had to make herself eat, the closer they got to go-time, the less her appetite got and before she knew it, Frank was helping her strap into her vest and holster. They both knew she was capable of doing it herself but it made him feel better. Karen watched his hands, steady and sure as they checked straps and buckles and when he spoke his voice was strong with no hint of a waver. Overall he looked steady as a rock. 

Karen, on the other hand, felt like her heart might explode in her chest. Her hands were jittery, she felt like she might throw up if her stomach wasn’t tied up in knots. She watched him strap into his own gear and took a moment to appreciate Frank in his element. She was not just seeing the Punisher, she was seeing the soldier. Anytime Karen could witness other sides of Frank she tried to soak it in as much as possible.

He caught her staring and raised an eyebrow. Clearing her throat to keep her voice from being shaky, something that was only moderately successful she asked, “How are you so calm? I feel like I’m going to crawl out of my skin.”

Frank gave an understanding nod, “Right before a mission is always the hardest, it’s hard to figure out what to do with all the nerves. It’s not that I’m calm, I’m just better at pretending I’m not anxious.” He positioned his earpiece and Karen followed suit. Before she could turn away, Frank ran a reassuring hand up her arm, “It’s going to be fine, Karen. I won’t let anything happen to you.” His voice was filled with such conviction, she couldn’t doubt him if she wanted to and it did much more to soothe her nerves than she expected.

Just as she was about to remind him he needed to make sure nothing happened to himself either, her earpiece crackled to life, startling a squeak out of her.

“ _ Hey Kids! Ready to get this show on the road?” _

Frank let out a curse and stepped over quickly to turn Karen’s earpiece down before adjusting the volume on his.

“Indoor voice, David,  _ Jesus Christ. _ ” Frank clipped before he opened the passenger door for Karen. Once she was settled he jumped in as well and started the van.

_ “Sorry about that.”  _ He replied in a much more reasonable volume, only sounding a tiny bit remorseful. “ _ Everyone appears to be in their expected places so far, it looks like there was a staffing change for one of the security guards but nothing that should affect the plan.” _

“Thanks David, we are leaving base now, I will be in contact once we have parked and are moving towards the target. Let us know if anything changes.” With that, Frank began to pull out of the building and start on the route that would take them upstate. The drive would take about two hours, give or take with traffic.

“ _ Roger that. _ ” The line crackled and went dead.

Karen, for her part, was doing her best not to let her nerves take over. She kept reminding herself that she had been in sketchier situations with much less competent people, so this shouldn’t be so bad. Those situations weren’t usually planned though, so she had never really had the time to fret before. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Frank glancing at her in between merging through traffic and following the route. He didn’t say anything but he did turn on the radio to a station she remembered mentioning to him being one of her favorites. It warmed her and helped soothe the nerves, if even a little bit. 

It was nearly ten when they pulled into a small side street that was a five minute walk through a small wooded area to their destination. Closing her eyes, Karen drew in a long breath before letting it out slowly. When she opened her eyes again, her determination must have shown on her face because Frank gave her a nod, the pride clear on his face. 

“You remember everything we went over today?” He asked, his tone clipped, all business.

“Yes. You remember what I said would happen if you get shot?” Her tone was just as clipped.

Frank’s eyes crinkled at the corners in that way that she was beginning to love.

“Yeah I remember.” His face softened and he stared at her for a moment before he spoke again, “Look, Karen…” 

In an instant Frank was facing the windshield again, his .45 fixed on a point in front of the van. Karen’s heart was in her throat but when she looked out, a relieved breath escaped her in a rush.

“Jesus, Matt. You’ve gotta ease up on the ninja stuff.” She gasped and watched him hold up placating hands, the red suit imposing as he finished materializing out of the shadows. She wasn’t sure but she thought she saw a small smirk on his lips. Frank still had his gun trained on the other man and looked like he was having a serious debate with himself before he slowly lowered the weapon back to its holster.

“I guess that means it’s go time.” Frank said tersely. Karen gave a stiff nod and turned to open her door but she was jerked back quickly and into a lingering kiss, all of Frank’s worry and devotion poured into the embrace. Karen hummed, feeling bolstered by the affection but then it began to turn raunchy and she pulled back to see a smirk on his lips. She glanced out to see Matt trying desperately to hide his scowl. Shaking her head, Karen turned back to Frank and shoved him towards his own door.

“You are such a child.” Her voice was scathing but she was grinning at him over her shoulder. 

The trio rounded the van so Frank and Karen could throw on the last of their weapons. In the off chance they had gotten pulled over, they didn’t want to be strapped down with several firearms and knives. It probably wouldn’t have gone over well paired with the fact they were both in bullet proof vests. 

Karen checked her .380 and holstered it before securing something Frank had presented to her before they left in her dominant hand pocket in easy reach. It was a wicked looking contraption she held in her palm that had claw-like spikes protruding between her fingers when she made a fist. She began to go over he mental checklist, playing the hand signals Frank had shown her in her mind’s eye, thinking about their strategy and actively trying  _ not _ to think about the many ways this could go bad. 

“....Karen will be on my six so if you can bring up our tail to ensure no one is sneaking up…”

“I don’t really like the idea of you clearing the way Frank. That tends to leave a lot of bodies.”

“ _ Christ _ , Red. That is the safest way for her. I told you I would be on my best behavior, no fatal shots.” Frank was trying to control his volume and only moderately succeeding.

“How about, Karen stays with me and you bring up the rear, if anyone manages to get near us from there you can step in.” Matt’s tone was just this side of snarky and Karen was tired of listening to them.

“ _ How about _ we stop talking about me like I’m not even here before I shoot you both in the foot and handle it myself.” Karen meant to go on but there was muffled giggling in her ear.

“ _ She told you!”  _

“Can it Micro.” Frank ground out but he did have the good sense to look a little sheepish, though not apologetic. They had agreed not to use David’s real name while on the mission as additional safeguard for him and his family.

She fixed both of the men with a glare and made sure it was heated enough that Matt could feel it if nothing else. He seemed to because he squirmed slightly under her gaze. When she finally spoke again it was with authority and left no room for discussion. “Matt you go in ahead of us, you can hear more, let us know how many people there are or if there are more people than we expected. You can also take them down and restrain them more easily since I won’t be holding on to your belt. Frank, I’ll stay close to you just like we planned and I will make sure no one grabs me from behind. I will be aware of my surroundings. Now, if everyone is done bickering, let’s get moving.”

There was more giggling in her ear before the men standing before her both gave a slight nod, neither looked happy but they had the good sense not to argue. Before they started moving again though, Frank turned back to Matt, “Last thing, once we are on the second floor and Karen is in with the target, I will be stationed outside the door. I need you to ensure no one else gets to the second floor.”

“Got it.” Was Matt’s simple response before he stepped up to Karen and gave her arm a light squeeze and pressed a small kiss to her temple. Then he was stepping around her and dissolving into the trees once more.

Frank watched him go before pulling Karen gently to his chest and pressing an equally light kiss on her other temple. The sweet gesture from both of them had tears gathering at the corners of her eyes but she willed them away when Frank met her eyes with seriousness, his hand resting at the juncture of her neck and shoulder as he gave her a light shake.

“No heroics in there Ms. Page, ya got me?” His voice was pitched low and his words were edged with anxiety but he was fighting through it, respecting her wishes to see this through to the end.

“I got it Mr. Castle. Same for you, let’s both get out of this without any bullet holes, okay?” Karen was proud of herself for keeping the wobble out of her voice. Frank just gave her shoulder another squeeze and another, more lingering, kiss to her forehead before he stepped around her and she fell in behind him, moving toward the house.

“ _ You two are just precious. _ ”

“Shut up.” Said in unison, though Karen’s was filled with amusement while Frank’s was filled with annoyance.

The short walk felt like an eternity but in reality, just a few short minutes later they were behind shrubs to watch Matt move stealthily past the guard that was now unconscious and bound by the back door. With a final lingering look and a quick nod, Frank stood to a crouch and waited until he felt Karen’s hand at his back before he started toward the house.

Karen’s heartbeat was so loud in her ears she was sure anyone in a ten mile radius could hear it. Vaguely she heard a commotion directly ahead of them as Frank turned to a room to their right, confirming the threats there had already been neutralized. Micro confirmed through their comms that Matt was just up ahead and had nearly cleared the way to the staircase they were needing to access.

Heat was radiating off of Frank in waves, Karen could see his muscles were so tight it looked like they could snap at any second. Every corner or potential hidden threat he would pivot and turn, clearing each point. It was interesting to see Frank, the soldier, in the forefront. She had seen him as the grieving husband and father, the vigilante, then the Punisher and she had seen him as just Frank. If she hadn’t been so focused on following his every move just like they practiced and eyeing every dark place with suspicion she would have pondered on that more.

A man suddenly lunged at Frank and Karen found herself pinned to the wall at Frank’s back while the assailant attempted to wrestle the Carbine out of his hand. If she had thought her heart was beating quickly before, it now had blood thundering through her veins with enough force to make her lightheaded. An elbow caught her in the ribs and she only just barely avoided catching Frank’s head with her face before her instincts took over and had her in motion. Able to reach in to her pocket, Karen pulled out the spiked weapon and held it in her fist, striking out as hard as she could at the man's side. She heard the man grunt and material tearing but before she could try again she caught an elbow to her hand, knocking the weapon from her fingers. Karen thought furiously, looking for any other opportunity when she realized her legs were mostly free. _Okay, Plan B_. With concentrated effort, she managed to separate herself, her leg free enough to kick the man hard in the hip, forcing him to take a step back. It gave Karen enough room to sidestep the fray and pull her gun from the holster and hold it at the ready if someone else appeared. 

When Frank felt her break free he reared back and headbutted the man with a grunt. It only took a few seconds after that for the man to be stunned and on the ground, Frank’s gun pointed at his head with singular focus and breathing heavily. Karen watched him carefully and was about to say his name when his eyes snapped over to her and she saw the battle raging in him. She’s not sure but she thought she heard a curse before Frank gave a terse command of “Watch my six” then used the stock of his weapon to knock the man unconscious before he bound him quickly.

Karen was scanning around them, gun at the ready, jumping only slightly when she heard a thump through the floor above them, watching for any other attackers. Her eyes moved in the pattern Frank had shown her and didn’t stop until he was at her side with an approving nod, tucking her back behind him and continuing their route.

“If you want me to stick to my ‘not killing shitbags’ promise you better do your fuckin’ job Red.” Frank’s voice was nothing more than a harsh whisper but they both knew Matt heard him. Karen squeezed his bicep appreciatively before tucking back into her position. She knew how difficult that was for him and needed him to know she saw the effort he was making.

Their earpieces crackled to life with David’s voice as serious as she had ever heard him, “ _ Daredevil has it clear all the way to Vanessa’s room, from my surveillance she entered the room 30 minutes ago and hasn’t left. _ ”

As if on cue, the staircase materialized on their right and Matt was descending, breathing heavily.

“Everyone is tied up, we don’t have long before they will start coming to, though.” He spoke quietly. Frank just gave him a curt nod and Karen squeezed his hand quickly as they went past. It was a huge relief to see that he hadn’t sustained any major injuries, at least that she could see anyway.

They reached the top of the stairs and just as Matt had said, five men were bound together and bleeding at varying degrees of severity. When she was able to tear her eyes away from them, Karen noticed the door to Vanessa’s room loomed ahead and a cold calm came over her. Weeks of turmoil and anxiety were coming to a head and she felt righteous anger giving her the strength to push forward.

Once Frank was certain the floor was secure, he turned to Karen right outside the door and asked quietly, “You’re sure you don’t want me to go in first? I can verify there are no other guards.”

Laying a gentle hand on his wrist where it clutched his gun, she gave him a reassuring smile, “Micro confirmed that all of the hostiles are neutralized for now so I can handle it. I feel like if the Punisher goes in first she may not quite believe that I am not here to hurt her.” She gave a small laugh but Frank remained stoic, every line in his body rigid and struggling to remain in place. Placing her palm to his cheek, Karen made Frank look at her and it made her breathing stutter unexpectedly. Having the undivided, full focus of the Punisher at the height of adrenaline on you was an exhilarating experience. But Frank was there too and she saw the fear underneath the heat of his battle hardened gaze.

“I’m going to be fine Frank. I have my .380, I’ll clear the room and let you know immediately if there is anyone besides Vanessa in there. Okay?” She knew it didn’t ease his anxiety at all but he gave a short nod, pulled the Carbine to his shoulder and began to sweep their surroundings, trusting her.

With a deep breath, Karen pulled her pistol out at the ready and took a steadying breath before she slid through the large door to the master suite. She swept the room with her firearm, only lowering it when she had confirmed there were no other guards stationed there. Karen took a few tentative steps further into the room, tucking her .380 back into it’s holster. She didn’t see Vanessa anywhere in the opulent room and had momentary panic that maybe the woman wasn’t there after all, despite what David had said. Maybe she had an escape route and made a break for it if she heard the commotion. Her thoughts took off in a gallop of dread, what if they had done all this for nothing? What if this only made things worse? However, a second later, Karen’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt as the beautiful brunette stepped from the ensuite bathroom in a silky looking robe with a brush in her hand. A moment of shock registered across her face before it was replaced with a cool mask.

“Well, I’d like to say I’m surprised to see you here Ms.Page but it isn’t too much of a shock really.” Vanessa said, voice low and lightly accented. She stood with her shoulders back and an air of nonchalance but Karen could see the unease in her stance as well.  _ Good, you can be uncomfortable for a while after the shitty few weeks I’ve had. _

“I didn’t have much of a choice did I? I have a job to do and I can’t really do it on the run, looking over my shoulder the whole time. Not easy to hold down a 9 to 5 when there’s a contract on your life, who’d have thought?” Bitterness was seeping into her tone so Karen forced herself to take a slow measured breath.

“That is an unfortunate thing but I am unsure of what it has to do with me.”

Karen rolled her eyes before leveling a hard stare on the other woman. “Can we skip the theatrics? I’m honestly exhausted and would like to settle this so I can go home.” 

Vanessa raised a manicured eyebrow at her. Sighing, Karen stepped forward a bit and spoke matter of factly, “I’ve seen all of your files, one of which was the contract on my life. I know about your art shows that double as little club parties for the local mob families and that is just a few of the things I’ve found.”

Vanessa tossed the brush she was holding to the chaise to her side and crossed her arms over her chest loosely, fixing Karen with her own unflinching gaze, “So you came to threaten me?”

“I came here to get my life back. To make sure the threat to my friends’ lives is neutralized. I have no intention of hurting you but I will send you to prison, just like we did your husband. It may be a bit more difficult to have all those phone calls if you are both behind bars.” It was spoken matter of fact, no malice. It took everything in Karen not to spit at her like a viper.

The brunette scoffed, “And just how did you get in here Ms. Page? Is breaking and entering considered an acceptable method to speak with someone now? I’m sure the information you alluded to was found legally as well? Knowing your proclivity for violence and  _ murder _ I’m sure you left more than a few dead bodies in your wake to get this far, so please, how do you intend on sending me to prison without signing your own sentence in the process?”

Karen was livid. She dared to call  _ Karen _ a murderer? Did she have any idea what her husband had done? The people he had killed in his pursuit for power? Judging by the cool, calculating look in the other woman’s eyes, she did. Karen let the rage settle over her in a cold shroud, a sneer tipping her lips up at one corner, “There won’t be any record of my ever being here. The cameras you have set up, including the one hidden in the moulding over there above your dresser, won’t have any record. You’re right, some of the information I found was found in a questionable manner but enough of it was sourced legitimately to have you locked up and more serious inquiries will follow. What wasn’t sourced legally will be enough to raise suspicion and have you under surveillance at the very least. There are no bodies left behind, Mrs. Fisk, because I am nothing like your husband. I don’t kill indiscriminately or when it suits my needs but I can list at least a dozen innocent people who have died at Fisk’s order if not by his own hand.”

“You took someone very dear to him, shot him in cold blood.” She spat the words out at Karen, anger finally showing through her calm facade.

The sneer vanished from her face but Karen kept her head high, she would not show guilt on the account of James Wesley, “I did shoot him. Interesting that Fisk would tell you that but leave out the fact that Wesley had drugged and kidnapped me. That he had threatened to kill all of the people I cared about before ultimately killing me. I want to be very clear, I did not enjoy killing James Wesley and I wish it could have been avoided, but I would do it all again if it meant my friends were safe. Even so, I still lost people that were very dear to me because of Wilson Fisk.”

From the unsure look on Vanessa’s face, it appeared that part of the story had been omitted. She didn’t say anything but her arms wrapped a little tighter around her midsection and her face showed the barest hint of what could have been sympathy before her expression schooled again into defiance. 

When nothing was said, Karen continued, “You can think of me what you will, either way I have no intention of hurting you. I am simply here to have the contract on my life eliminated and your assurance that my friends will be safe, from you and your husband. If you concede to that, I will not release the information I have to the police and you can continue on with your life.”

“Continue on with my life without my husband you mean? As he is still locked away, his efforts to better this city, ruined because of you and those lawyers.” She was still speaking softly but the bitterness was present.

Karen shook her head slowly, “Wilson Fisk put himself there. He is a criminal and a murderer.” She was trying to speak softly as well but a hardness was filling her words, “He had enough money and influence to better the city in legal, legitimate ways. Instead, he used fear, blackmail and murder to bring people to heel. I won’t ask for forgiveness because he deserves to be in prison, though considering the freedoms he is still enjoying, I would hardly consider that prison.”

She regarded Vanessa for a moment, eye scanning the woman then wandering around the room briefly, before uttering a question that had been eating at her, “You are a successful art dealer from a good family and you have a clean record. Why would you want to be with someone like Wilson Fisk?”

Vanessa seemed surprised by the question and took a moment to answer. She was ready to speak when the door behind Karen came open just enough to let Frank enter. The air of confidence left Vanessa when she took in the white skull emblazoned on Frank’s chest, her whole body tensing as she took several steps back into the room. She was a sensible woman after all, anyone with a healthy respect for their own life would be frightened when the Punisher entered the room. Those with a guilty conscience anyway.

Karen looked over to him and watched as his eyes scanned the room for threats before settling for only a second on the other woman who had put greater distance between them, finally turning to Karen herself. He was standing close, his vest brushing her arm and his gun held between them carefully. His voice was low so it would not carry over to the other occupant of the room when he muttered, “The perimeter is still clear but we need to get moving soon.”

She didn’t bother to point out that was something that could have been conveyed over the comm devices.

They held eyes for a moment, a million other things passing between them before she gave him a nod and placed her focus back on Vanessa. Frank took a half step back, standing at Karen’s shoulder but far enough back to raise his weapon if need be. Said weapon was pointed at the floor but there was no question in his stance of if he would be willing to use it to protect the woman in front of him. 

Vanessa was now watching with interest, her previous unease bleeding into focus as her sharp eyes went between Karen and Frank before something seemed to click into place. “You keep interesting allies for someone who is against murder, Miss Page.” She held up her hand when Karen opened her mouth to retort, “I will rescind the contract on your life and I will see to it that your friends will not be in danger from mine or Wilson’s men. You have made a compelling case and I am not blind to your talent for finding information. Now, if you don’t mind, I would like to finish up my evening and go to bed.”

Before Karen could say anything, Frank demanded, his voice low and gruff, leaving no room for argument, “Cancel the contract now.” Karen gave him an annoyed look for cutting her off but said nothing.

Reaching slowly into the pocket of her robe, Vanessa pulled out her phone, tapping away at the screen for a moment before holding it up to show them and placing it back in her pocket.

Frank’s head tilted slightly just as she heard David give a quiet ‘confirmed’ in her own earpiece. Frank gave her a small nod, the hacker verified that the contract had been cancelled, so they could go home. Sighing imperceptibly in relief, Karen made a conscious effort to keep her shoulder straight and not let them sag with the tension that left them. They weren’t out of the woods yet so it was not time to relax.

“Thank you Mrs. Fisk. I hope we don’t have to see each other again.” Turning, she made her way to the door while Frank divided his attention to the hallway to check for threats and also kept a careful eye on the woman across the room. Karen was about to step out and follow Frank when Vanessa spoke up from behind her.

“We don’t get to choose who we love, Ms. Page. It rarely ever is someone that we anticipate.”

For a moment the women locked eyes, a camaraderie of sorts between them. The moment was broken by Karen’s huffed, quiet laugh.

“That’s the fucking truth.” And then the door was closing as she followed Frank into the hallway.

\----

Frank felt Karen fall in behind him and only allowed himself a quick breath of relief, they were in the home stretch but not out yet. He could hear mumbled curses and shuffling as some of the men were starting to come around and wanted to get some distance between them and the house. It went against everything in him to still have hostile targets alive, especially with Karen in tow but he knew how much it meant to her so he was doing his best, hyper focused on their surroundings to stop any threat before it could reach her. 

He couldn’t wait to get back to the safe house. He was always tense when going into a mission but taking Karen into the middle of it had him so uneasy he felt like every muscle in his body was strung tight enough to snap at a moment’s notice. It did help that Karen had followed instruction perfectly. She was always in a defensible position, stayed close to him without impeding his movement and had her eyes constantly in motion. She would have made an incredible soldier. 

They met Matt at the bottom of the stairs and followed not far behind as he cleared the way of any additional guards. They were making good time through the house, Frank knew around the next corner they would have a short hallway and then exit out a side entrance that would have them a little closer to the vehicle. 

Matt had rounded the corner just ahead and they weren’t far behind. There was the sound of a struggle where Matt had just disappeared so Frank slowed as they approached but as they stopped there David’s voice cut through the careful silence.

“ _ Behind you! One of them is loo-...” _

In an instant Frank was turning but not before a shot rang out. Pure instinct had him dropping to a knee and removing the threat with one efficient bullet to the head. He didn’t have time to think about that though because when he lowered his eyes from the target, he saw Karen bleeding on the ground at his feet, her hand gripping her neck where blood flowed through her fingers, and Frank’s whole world tilted and came apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	11. Your Love Might Be My Damnation

Cold dread like nothing he had felt before crept through every ounce of Frank’s body. Well that wasn’t entirely true, he had felt it before, the day he woke up and realized everything he cherished was gone. Now here he was again, against all odds he had found something else to live for, started to feel like maybe he wasn’t cursed, but no, the only good thing in his life was lying prone on the ground and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the neck.

She was gasping and clutching the wound, her blue eyes wild when she looked at him. Carefully, Frank was pulling her hand away to get a look at the damage and in a voice he barely recognized as his own in it’s calmness he said, “It’s alright sweetheart, I got you. Just let me see.” Only his extensive training kept his hands steady, if he weren’t so focused he knew he would be shaking violently.

Matt rounded the corner and was kneeling next to them in an instant, he was breathless and gasped out a quiet, “Karen” as he laid a gentle hand on her. 

“Watch for more of those motherfuckers. I don’t want to see another one moving or they will catch a bullet too.” Frank’s voice was not nearly so calm when he addressed the other man, barely contained rage laced with deathly intent. Matt didn’t hesitate to stand again and listen for any more threats. He knew it had not been an idle threat.

Turning his full attention back to Karen and the wound, Frank felt a fraction of the dread bleeding out of his body. The bullet had torn a trench through the meat at the juncture of her neck and shoulder but nothing vital had been hit. She was bleeding heavily but as long as they treated her soon, she should survive. As some of the shock wore off, Karen seemed to realize it wasn’t as serious as it seemed at first, her breathing slowing a bit and her hand touching Frank’s own neck.

“How is it?” Her voice was quiet and she flinched when a movement stretched the damaged skin.

Frank took her hand and placed it back on the wound, it was still bleeding heavily but they needed to get out of here, he couldn’t take the time to dress it here.

“It’s not good but keep pressure on it and you should be fine until we get somewhere safe. I’ll take care of it there.” His voice was still steady but as more blood seeped between her fingers he felt more and more of his composure slipping away.

As if on cue, David was alerting them to more incoming, reinforcements pulling into the driveway. They only had a few minutes to get out.

_ Fuck playing nice. I’ll kill any motherfucker I see in my way. _ Frank was done playing by their rules. He had done that and Karen paid the price. He felt the rage taking over, furious at himself for ever agreeing to something he knew would only end badly. He’ll burn this place to the ground. He’ll-

A delicate hand with surprising strength gripped him by the jaw and pulled his face down to look into burning blue eyes. “Now is not the time for retribution. You got the man who did this already, now we need to go. You said yourself, I’ll be fine. Now help me up.” Her voice was steady, with all the authority of every CO he had ever had.

How the hell did a woman like Karen Page even exist? She had just been shot in the neck and was giving  _ him  _ orders and taking charge. It was enough to drain some of the rage from him, enough of it to focus more clearly on escape rather than destruction. Gingerly he pulled Karen to her feet and steadied her when she swayed. As soon as she gave him a quick nod they were moving again, Matt falling in to step just behind them.

“I don’t hear anyone past the door, we should be clear to get to the trees.” Matt’s voice was tight as he kept pace with them.

A half a second later, Micro was confirming their clear path, “ _ You are good to the treeline. They haven’t made it up the driveway to the house yet.” _

They hit the night air and Frank was moving them steadily through the manicured yard until they disappeared into the treeline, where he promptly stopped, swinging the carbine around to his hip and scooped Karen up into his arms before he took off in a trot.

She squeaked and wrapped the arm that wasn’t holding her wound around his shoulder. “I can still walk Frank.” She hissed between clenched teeth. It didn’t escape him how pale she was, even in the darkness.

“I don’t want your heart rate up any higher than it needs to be and we agreed that there were to be no gunshot wounds. You didn’t keep your word so we are doin’ this my way.” It was a low growl, he wasn’t going to argue with her right now.

He thinks he hears her huff a ‘jackass’ into his chest but from then on he just focuses on getting back to the van. He didn’t think he had ever been so happy to see the piece of junk as he was when they emerged from the trees to find it parked right where they left it. Without having to be told, Matt was jerking the van door open and stepping in to help settle Karen into the back. Frank reached in just enough to pull out the trauma kit and open it at Matt’s feet.

“Gauze is at the top. There should be enough there to keep the bleeding in check. She better be alright when we get where we are going Red, or you won’t be.” He didn’t give either one of them a chance to speak, just slammed the door shut and threw himself in the driver’s seat and put as much distance between them and that god-awful place as he could.

The only thing that kept him sane on the nearly two hour trip back was hearing her quiet voice drifting up from the back. She sounded alert and calm, answering Matt’s questions and reassuring both of them that she was fine, just in a little pain. 

When they were pulling into the safe house after what felt like an eternity, Frank wasted no time, moving from the driver’s seat and giving David terse instructions as he moved to open the back door, “Let me know if there is any unusual activity around us.”

“ _ Copy that. Let me know how Karen is.” _

A quick grunt was all he gave before ripping the earpiece out and leaning in to look Karen over. She seemed pale but alert, her eyes were following him closely as he pulled aside the bandaging Matt had put in place. The wound was still bleeding sluggishly, he wanted to get stitches in it ASAP. Without saying a word, Frank had lifted Karen out of the van and was carrying her to the bed. 

“ _ Frank _ , I can walk. The bleeding has almost stopped and Matt said I’ll be fine.” Karen’s voice was exasperated, bordering indignant.

“Is that what he said? What a relief.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm, all gravel and fire when he dropped her down on the cot. She hissed when the movement jostled her arm but he couldn’t bring himself to apologize. He was afraid if he opened his mouth again he would release all of his anger and worry or worse yet, go to his knees and beg her to never to do that again. Any given day he wouldn’t mind being on his knees in front of Karen but they had an audience.

Frank had a maelstrom brewing in him from the evening’s events and he wasn’t sure how to navigate this storm. He wanted to be, and was, angry that Karen had gotten hurt because of her and Red’s ridiculous righteousness. The stubbornness that wouldn’t see reason. Residual dread made his blood run cold occasionally when he would remember seeing blood pouring between her fingers in such a vital place. But he was also relieved. Relieved because despite the wound, she was okay and still giving him hell. Relieved that this whole mess was over. If you asked him what he was feeling at the moment he would probably just scream, a deep howl filled with everything he didn’t know how to express.

He hadn’t even realized that he had grabbed the suture kit and was working on cleaning up the wound further when he felt a presence at his elbow.

“I’ll go to the roof and make sure there isn’t any trouble.” Matt spoke quietly, seemingly aware of the very unstable condition Frank was in. 

“Yeah, Red, you do that. Or you could just leave, that would work too.” Frank didn’t bother to look at him as he made the first careful stitch, glancing at Karen’s face briefly to be sure he wasn’t causing her too much pain.

Matt had paused behind Frank and looked like he was going to retort but thought better of it, as if he could feel the pleading look Karen was giving him to just let it go.

“It wasn’t his fault, Frank.” Her voice was quiet as he worked, only a catch here and there as he pulled the stitches taught. A pause when there was no response. “It wasn’t your fault either.”

Frank stopped for a second to steady his hand again. She was always absolving him of his sins and failures. He never deserved it but she did it anyway.

“I got sloppy. Wasn’t paying enough attention. I never should have agreed to the plan. I know that leaving loose ends doesn’t work and I did it anyway.” His voice was just as quiet as hers had been.

“I was supposed to be paying attention too, Frank. I am responsible, I told you I would watch my surroundings and I didn’t.” 

Frank didn’t say anything to that. He knew it wouldn’t do any good to argue with her about it. The fact of the matter was he didn’t think she should have been there in the first place. But, Frank knew if he really was going to stick around he was going to have to get used to it ‘cause the woman in front of him was always going to be at the forefront of her battles and sometimes other people’s battles too. Lord knows where he would be if she hadn’t been there for his. So he just silently finished sewing her up, carefully wiping away the excess blood when he was done and hoping it wouldn’t scar too badly. 

Once he was satisfied he had done all he could, Frank smeared salve over the wound and put a bandage in place. With just as much care, he began to remove Karen’s vest, glancing at her once it was removed to make sure there were no other injuries. He could feel her eyes on him while he scanned her but he couldn’t bring himself to look at her just yet, he still felt off kilter, not quite ready to talk. Lastly, he reached into the kit and pulled out some pain relievers, passing them to her and watching carefully as she washed them down with some water.

So, reassured she was not going to fade away before him, Frank turned to begin removing his gear. He moved on autopilot, peeling off a layer at a time before he was finally just down to his henley and dark cargo pants then moving to the sink to rinse the rest of Karen’s blood off of his hands. Pink swirled around the drain as he held his hands under the water and his heart clenched once again as he thought about how much of her blood was on his hands, literally and figuratively. 

Just as that began to lead him down a dark trail of thoughts, his breath constricting in his lungs, arms wrapped around his middle, one secured around his waist while the other rested on his chest. Her hands were still covered in her own blood but it didn’t stop her from holding him tightly. Karen didn’t say anything, just rested her forehead to his shoulder and took deep steadying breaths. Frank found himself matching her breathing and feeling his composure coming back bit by bit, grasping the hand at his waist and holding it tightly like it was his anchor.

Finally, a quiet voice, muffled by his clothing, spoke up, “I would like to take a shower and get all this grime off of me...but I don’t know if I can get everything with my shoulder.”

It wasn’t a question but she was giving him the option to say no, to take more space if he needed it.

Turning in her arms, Frank put careful hands on either side of her face, taking in her hopeful gaze. “I guess let’s get you in the shower then.” The smile she gave him was a balm on his battered soul, warm and sweet like honey, full everything she felt for him.

They both grabbed fresh clothes, Karen only showing signs of discomfort here and there when she tried to move her arm too much. Frank got the water started heating and really hoped the faulty pipes would let them have a nice uninterrupted shower for once. When he turned again he tsked at Karen who was trying valiantly to pull her shirt over her head on her own.

“Jesus, Karen, let me help with that. What’s the point of having me in here to help if you are going to do it yourself anyway?” He reprimanded. She was too damn independent for her own good sometimes.

“Eye candy?” Was the coy reply he got once her head re-emerged from her shirt, her lips twitching at the corners.

He was trying not to be charmed. He really was. It just wasn’t working at fucking all. Somehow Frank managed to keep from smiling but judging by the smug look on her face he didn’t entirely succeed.

Without acknowledging her look, he gently nudged Karen into the shower and stepped in behind her. She had angled herself to keep her bandaged shoulder out of the direct spray and let out a contented sigh when the hot water hit her skin. As he often found himself around Karen, Frank was watching her, fascinated by everything that was Karen Page. Water was sliding over her skin, rinsing away the grime and blood and he couldn’t help but follow the rivulets as they dipped and slid over the curves of her body. It was getting harder to remember that he was only in here to help her bathe.

“Could you help me take my hair down so I can wash it?” Her voice was soft and she was watching him with tired eyes, the warm water seeming to sap away her remaining adrenaline.

Frank nodded quickly, trying to hide the fact he was ogling her but if she had noticed he was, she didn’t seem to mind. Stepping around so that he was mostly under the spray with Karen in front of him, he lifted his arms to tug the elastic out of her hair as gently as possible. It snagged here and there but he managed to get it out without too much fuss and Karen let out a sigh of relief when the weight of her hair was no longer gathered at the crown of her head. Frank tried to ignore how he could feel that puff of air slide across his collarbone and the small shiver it caused in his body.

Karen started to reach for the shampoo but Frank quickly stopped her, tutting at her when she winced at the stretch of her shoulder. 

“I’ll get it, stop overworking those stitches.” He thought he sounded stern but she looked unimpressed.

“Sir, yes, sir.”

Frank clicked his tongue at her as he positioned her carefully under the spray, the water at her back and her head gently tilted back to catch the water in her hair. Frank stood close, running his fingers through the long golden strands while Karen’s eyes drifted shut and her breathing deepened. He could feel her full breasts against his chest with each deep breath and it threatened to distract him from his task.

Coaxing her out of the spray, Frank put some shampoo in his broad palm and began to work the suds through her hair, gathering it up to ensure every bit was cleaned, his blunt nails scraping gently along her scalp as he worked. Karen’s face was tilted up towards his and her eyes stayed closed, lashes fluttering against her cheek with each pass of his hands. He stepped her back into the warm spray to rinse the soap from her hair and she let out a contented sigh that blew across Frank’s face and pulled his eyes from her hair and stilled his hands. 

Frank was overwhelmed with the feelings he had for the woman in front of him for a handful of seconds. He’d come so close to losing her tonight, it almost didn’t feel real having her in his arms. As often as he had put her in danger, killed people in front of her and pushed her away, she could still stand in front of him, naked and vulnerable, trusting him so explicitly. It stole his breath. His eyes slid over the delicate bones of her face, her high cheekbones, straight nose and those red lips that were full of sin and salvation. 

Before Frank could stop himself he lowered his face and laid a row of light kisses along her jawline before he feathered his lips over hers. Karen’s eyes slid open as he pulled back and there was a heat in her gaze that had liquid fire running through his veins. Without a second thought he took her lips again, both hands tangled in her hair as they cradled her head. He was trying to hold back, to be conscious of her injury but the way she was nipping at his lips and the way her hands were sliding over the skin of his chest and dragging tantalizingly down his stomach had him building into a frenzy he could barely control.

Those brazen hands of hers found their destination just as Karen licked into Frank’s mouth, swallowing the tortured moan he released. She gave his cock a few languid pumps before he let out a growl, spinning them so the spray was hitting his broad back and she was pinned to the tile wall.

He gave her a punishing kiss, tongue sliding over hers, bruising both of their lips with his urgency. When he pulled back, her lips were swollen and red, her eyes were wild and watching every move he made. Slowly, Frank lifted her injured arm to his shoulder, allowing his frame to hold the weight before he slid his hand from her shoulder, over her ribs, the swell of her hip and down her thigh to pull it up over his hip. 

Claiming her mouth again, his other hand wasted no time, sliding impatient fingers through her folds, marveling at how wet she was. She was so responsive to his touch. Like now, when her head thumped gently against the shower wall, a pretty moan pushed past her lips as his fingers made lazy circles over her clit. Her head was thrown back, eyes tightly shut just as she had been a moment ago, only now her breaths were coming out labored, gasping with each pass of his fingers. Frank stared at her, watching every fissure of pleasure cross her face and reveling in the fact that he was giving her this bliss.

When her eyes came open again they were filled with a need that he was sure was mirrored in his own visage. Her voice was husky, wrecked from gasping out his name in between her sighs of pleasure. “Frank,  _ please… _ ”

He couldn’t deny her if he wanted to. Removing his hand from her apex, Frank scooted the thigh around his waist a little higher and bent his knees slightly, allowing him the angle he needed. He watched for any signs of discomfort from her injury but her arm was still draped over his shoulder, the other one following suit as she bowed her head to run butterfly kisses over his cheekbone, no pain evident in her body. His mouth trailed down her neck and one hand slid up from her waist cup a full breast, pinching a nipple and then soothing it with the pad of his thumb.

So with one of her legs wrapped around him, her arms draped over his shoulders and his own hands gripping her hips, Frank sank into her waiting heat. They both let out ragged groans that echoed off the bathroom walls and once he bottomed out in her all he could do was rest his forehead to hers and bask in her warmth. She only allowed it for a moment before dragging her nails down the back of his neck, causing a delicious shiver to run down his spine. He didn’t think he was going to be able to be gentle.

With a sharp thrust that had her breath stuttering in his ear, Frank ground out in a voice full of gravel and desire, “Let me know if I hurt you.” She barely had time to give a faint nod before Frank was pistoning into her, the adrenaline and emotion of the day filling him with the need to prove that they were both still alive, that she was here, with him. 

He was sure his fingers were leaving bruises on her hips, that the nips and dragging kisses he was trailing along her good shoulder would leave little red marks and bruises but she didn’t mind, driving him on with nails on his back and a sharp nips of her own when she could reach his skin.

Frank pumped into her mercilessly, the drag and slide of her walls on his cock felt so incredible he was almost lightheaded from it. 

“Frank. Frank ...I’m.. _ please. _ ” Her breathless pleading and the fluttering of her sex against him spurred him into action, he wasn’t far from his release either and he’d be damned if he went before she did. 

Tilting his hips, Frank wrapped one arm around her waist to support her so he could drag his thumb over her clit, slow, firm passes that offset his deep, rapid thrusts. It only took a few strokes before Karen’s back was arching from the wall and a deep satisfied moan escaped her chest, her hands gripping his neck and shoulder as she rode out her orgasm. 

It was the most beautiful fucking thing Frank had ever seen. He never took his eyes off of her, not until, after three slow deep thrusts, he was spilling into her with a shuddering breath.

They stayed like that for a moment, Frank’s other arm sliding around her waist as well to hold her completely against him while they both recovered. He felt her trailing lazy kisses up his neck and pulled back just enough for her to press one to his brow bone, then his nose and finally, a slow lingering kiss to his lips.

“I think I am going to need help with my showers for the foreseeable future.” She sounded completed sated and pride swelled in his chest.

“I am happy to help, whenever you need it, Ma’am.” With a gentle slap to her ass, Frank gently lowered her leg to the ground.

She gave him a saucy smile, gingerly removing her injured arm from his shoulder with the barest wince. As the haze from her orgasm began to clear a thought seemed to strike her suddenly. “Wait, wait, wait.” She muttered, “Is Matt still on the  _ roof?” _ Her eyes went wide in panic.

Frank had completely forgotten about Red being on the roof to keep the proverbial ‘look’ out. Before he could stop it, a lecherous smile spread across his face that had Karen punching his arm with no real force.

She gave him a reproaching look that was only half serious, rinsing herself off the rest of the way, careful of her bandage, and stepping out of the shower. Frank scrubbed himself quickly and stepped out as well, letting his eye trail over her as she gingerly pulled the shirt he had brought for her to wear. It was one of his old shirts, worn in and soft, the collar stretched to a point it showed quite a bit of her delicate collar bone. It still gave him a quiet thrill to see her in his clothes, if they hadn’t just had their moment in the shower and he wasn’t so exhausted from the day’s events, he would have pulled her in and removed that shirt inch by tantalizing inch. As much as he loved seeing her in his clothes, he much more enjoyed helping her out of them.

Following closely behind her, Frank turns off lights as they go through the room, preparing for sleep. David was running surveillance on the place and Frank was almost certain they couldn't be found anyway. And there was the Devil on the roof, if he stuck around after the little interlude in the shower that he, no doubt, would have heard. So without preamble, he crawled in behind Karen and curled around her, careful to avoid her injury. Frank watched as she sent out a quick text to Nelson, letting him know what they all made it out unscathed. She neglected to mention her injury. Tomorrow she would be returning to her apartment and they would need to talk, really hash out what the future might look like for them. But before that, they needed rest. Before that, he could just hold her and appreciate how warm she was in his arms, how alive she was.

Besides, he had to be well rested, he had a very important phone call to make in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	12. I'll Cry to My Grave...Fire Away

Frank came awake in a panic, his eyes snapping open but he managed to keep his body still. He was still tucked closely to Karen’s back, her hand clutching his to her chest while she snored just the tiniest bit. Neither of them had moved through the night which was a good indication of how exhausted they were. Slowly, Frank let his muscles relax, the dream he had been in fading to the background. He allowed himself a few more minutes before flexing his fingers slowly to release them from her grip and moved gingerly off the cot. Frank froze with one foot on the floor when he heard a quiet protesting noise from Karen, her eyes didn’t open but she tried to grasp at the empty space behind her before he shoulder protested the movement.

“Hey,” he moved quickly to the side of the cot, grabbing her hand and tucking it back up to her chest, stroking a thumb across her knuckles as he did, “I just need to make a couple calls, you can go back to sleep.”

A tired blue eye cracked and looked at him blearily before another sound of protest escaped her. His lips tilted up in a smile, god she was adorable when she wasn’t being reckless and stubborn. Looking over his shoulder at the closest clock he turned back to her.

“It’s 5:30am.” 

The next sound she made was one of disgust as she firmly closed her eyes and nestled back into the covers. He laid a tender kiss to her temple and stood, quiet snores resuming before he had made it to the other end of the room. 

Picking up his phone, Frank dialed from memory.

“ _G’morning sleeping beauty.”_ David’s exhausted voice was quiet on the other end of the line.

“Get some rest David. I’m up for the day and can take it from here.” There was an affirming grunt from the other end of the line and rustling like the call was about to disconnect but Frank spoke up before he realized what he was doing. 

“David?” There was a pause on the other end of the line and he wondered if maybe the other man had already hung up but then there was a loud yawn in his ear. Shaking his head, Frank glanced over his shoulder to where Karen was sleeping peacefully and then turned back to the security monitors he stood in front of.

“Hey, uh..” He was never good at this stuff. “Thank you. I know I’ve been an asshole but I know how hard you worked to help me find and protect her and I….just...thanks.” He finished lamely.

There was thoughtful silence on the other end of the line and just when Frank was certain that David wasn’t going to say anything, he spoke up.

“ _You’re welcome. You can make it up to me by coming around more….and bringing her with you, yeah?”_

He shouldn’t be surprised at the request but it still blindsides him just a bit, “Uh, yeah. I’ll try.” That didn’t seem like enough. “Yeah, we’ll be in touch.”

“ _See that you are or I’ll find you._ ” Then the line goes dead.

It was said in such a way that Frank wasn’t entirely sure if it was a joke or a threat. Probably a mix of both.

The next call was to Curtis. Frank was confident in his stitching skills on himself because he didn’t care about another scar or if it healed perfectly but he wanted to make sure Karen’s injury would heal as best as it possibly could. That would require a professional so he gave his friend the abridged version of the previous night and set a time to meet later that afternoon to look her over.

The final call was to Rikers penitentiary. 

Frank grabbed one of the many burner phones he possessed, setting his more permanent phone to the side and moved further into the abandoned warehouse, away from Karen. He dialed and waited, requested Wilson Fisk when prompted. His trigger finger tapped against the phone as he paced the dim and dusty room, hoping he wouldn’t have to have David patch him though some other way. But just as he suspected, Fisk had control of the place and didn’t have to go through the usual channels to receive calls. The phone service was his to control so the call went through without the usual vetting. 

“ _Yes?_ ” Frank recognized the voice immediately just in that single syllable. The arrogance filling the word set his teeth on edge.

“You should have left her alone.” His own voice was low, the remnants of rage making the words burn.

“ _Mr. Castle. I am surprised you reached out so soon. My wife informed me of your visit to her last night with Ms. Page. Something I have to admit, I am none too pleased about.”_ A simmering anger laced the words. “ _I’ll admit, I did not anticipate you having an association with Miss Page.”_

“That right? You don’t like some dangerous asshole around someone you care about? Not as fun when the tables are turned, huh?” Frank’s voice was harsh and taunting.

“ _Karen Page took someone I care about from me. She’s a murderer, Mr. Castle. Isn’t it your job to kill criminals, not protect them?”_

Frank’s vision went red quickly but he took a couple of deep breaths through his nose until his focus was back. When he could trust himself to speak again without shouting, his voice was deadly calm, deep and intense with promise. “You don’t say her fucking name. Ever again. You’re really gonna sit there and call her a murderer like you’ve never killed anyone? All high and mighty in your gilded cage. Karen killed that shitbag friend of yours because he didn’t give her a choice. If he were still alive, I would kill him for fun. Drag it out for every hour of pain and torment you have put her through.” 

He paused for a moment, measuring his next words. He was more than just the Punisher at this moment, more than Frank Castle. He was a man who had lost everything, including himself. Now though, he had a beautiful unstoppable woman putting his pieces back together. He wasn’t the same man as before but he was slowly starting to see glimpses of him in this new man he was becoming.

“You’ll leave Karen Page alone. That includes her friends. If she loses another minute of sleep because of you, I will make you suffer. You so much as breathe her name and I’ll know. Keep in mind that I’ve found your wife before, I can do it again.” There is a choking noise on the other end of the line, a sure sign that Frank had hit the nerve he was aiming for. 

Frank wouldn’t kill Vanessa, as far he knew she hadn’t committed any major crimes. Though if she crossed that line or threatened Karen again, he wouldn’t have a choice because he won’t tolerate any more threats to Karen from a Fisk. 

“ _What exactly is your involvement with Ms. Page?”_ Fisk’s voice was filled with barely contained rage.

“That is none of your fucking business. All you need to know is that if she gets hurt and I even suspect it has anything to do with you, I will destroy everything you love. I can show you what it is like to truly lose everything. Are we clear?” There was finality in his tone.

A shuddering breath came through the line before Fisk spoke, “ _Yes, we are clear, Mr. Castle. I’m sure we will be seeing each other, once I’m free again.”_

“I look fuckin’ forward to it.” He disconnects the line and proceeds to shatter the phone on the ground.

Frank flexed his hands and continued to take deep breaths. Every fiber of his being was screaming to end Fisk, remove the threat completely. If he was still breathing, he was still a danger to Karen. The other man being in prison really did make things more difficult though. Besides, he and Karen had already hashed out that particular issue. Though, if it ended the way it did last time, he may be willing to have the discussion again. 

There would be a day of reckoning. It was only a matter of time before Wilson Fisk was released from prison because of some bullshit loophole or another. Then he could finally put that piece of shit in the ground for good.

As much as he didn’t like it, he would leave Fisk alone. For now.

\-----

Karen woke to a twinge in her shoulder and the smell of fresh coffee. She sat up with a quiet groan and peered around the small living space, eyes settling on Frank at the small card table that served as a place to eat and plan. His eyes came up from the paper he was reading to settle on her, skimming down her body before stilling at her shoulder.

“‘Morning, Ma’am. It’s 0700, we are going to make a morning person out of you yet.” His voice was raspy and deep and it sent a shiver down her spine. It didn’t help that he also was just in a pair of dark pants, shirt slung over his shoulder, damp from his workout and the resulting shower, no doubt. It wasn’t fair to be that sexy first thing in the morning. Frank stood from the table, striding over to where she sat, disheveled and trying not to be visibly turned on. 

“How’s your shoulder feeling?” Before she could answer, he was pulling back the gauze to inspect the wound for signs of infection.

Karen grunted, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and yawning. “It feels okay, a little twingy but not killing me.”

He gave a grunt of his own, putting the bandage back in place. “On the way back to your apartment we are going to swing by Curt’s place so he can look it over and make sure I didn’t screw it up.”

She gave him an incredulous look, standing to follow him when he turned back to the table. “Well that’s really encouraging Frank, I wasn’t concerned before but I am a little now.” She gave him a teasing smile as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “Who’s Curt?”

For a second he looked startled, like he was surprised she didn’t know who Curt was but then shook his head quickly, “Yeah, sorry, I guess you haven’t met him. He’s a marine buddy of mine, we served together. Best medic around and probably one of the best people too.”

“Okay, I look forward to meeting him then. Make sure you didn’t give me a lame arm or something.” She gave another teasing smile before settling in next to him and sipping her coffee.

After a small breakfast of eggs and toast, easy conversation filling the calm silence, they made little fanfare of packing up the safehouse and loading into the van. Karen tried not to let anxiety creep into her mind at the thought of things going back to normal. With most things, she was looking forward to it but she worried that once she was back to her life and Frank was back to his, this tentative thing they were doing would vanish. She couldn’t let that happen.

Rather than dwell on that particular brand of panic, Karen mused on how it felt to not be on the run for the first time in nearly a month. She felt lighter, like she could draw in a full breath again. Though, she still didn’t entirely trust that there wouldn’t be someone waiting around the next corner for her. Judging by the way Frank was frequently checking the mirrors and eyeing any remotely suspicious vehicles, he didn’t entirely trust the situation either. In the drive across town, no one emerged from the dark corners of the city to threaten her though, so she took it as a good sign.

The burner phone Karen had been using pinged as they eased up to a curb outside of a quaint apartment building somewhere in Brooklyn. She smiled at his lengthy text from Foggy, how relieved he was that this was over, how much he couldn’t wait to have her back in the office and at Josie’s bar, smoking him at pool. His last question though had her covering her mouth with one hand, somewhere between mortified and amused.

“ _Also, what the hell did you all do to Matt? He has been in mood today and will not tell me what has him so cranky. He might have deserved whatever it was but if you could apologize or something, for my sake, I would greatly appreciate it!”_

Frank caught her movement and leaned slightly to glimpse at the screen, “Nelson get back to ya?”

Karen nodded before snapping the phone closed and raising an eyebrow at him. “According to Foggy, Matt is in a foul mood today. I suppose I am going to owe him an apology.”

Frank scoffed, “Fuck ‘im. I mean, unless you are sorry about what happened last night.” His voice dropped an octave, cocky around the edges but she heard a hint of doubt in there as well.

Well, she really couldn’t be surprised that was his response. With a roll of her eyes, Karen tucked the phone into her bag.

“I’m not sorry about what happened but we probably could have been more considerate of his super-hearing. He already isn’t happy with the fact that we...uh....stayed in contact, I’m sure that was just salt in the wound.”

There wasn’t a response so Karen turned to see Frank with an unreadable look on his face, watching her carefully.

She let a little exasperation bleed into her voice, “If you so much as hint that I’m better off with him, I swear I might have to hurt you. Aren’t you supposed to be introducing me to Curtis or something?”

Without waiting for an answer she swung out of the van and waited for him to follow, coming around the front of the vehicle, wrapping a loose arm around her waist and tugging her in the right direction. He stayed quiet but she saw the tense line in his shoulder relax. One day he was going to understand that Matt had not been a love interest for her for a very long time.

They didn’t say anything as they made their way up the steps, Frank’s hand laying gently on her lower back, Karen trying to ignore the warm feeling the simple action sent coursing through her. She was starting to think she would never get used to Frank’s hands on her.

They came to a stop outside of a door and Frank lifted a hand to knock but hesitated. She watched him for a second and when he didn’t move further, rested a gentle hand on his bicep, concern drawing her brows together.

“Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

Her question shook him out of his reverie and with a shake of his head, Frank finished the motion, wrapping his knuckles lightly on the door. 

“I’m fine. It’s just... the thought just occurred to me that you ‘n Curt together could be bad news for me.” He glanced at her, his lips giving a wry twist and before she could ask him what he meant, the door was pulled open. 

Karen wasn’t sure what she was expecting to see but the man in front of them with a slow smile and kind eyes was not it. He was dressed in a t-shirt and clean dark jeans and regarded them both easily. Finally his eyes settled back on Frank.

“You know Frank, sometime you’re gonna have to call me just cause you wanna hear my sweet voice and not because you need something patched up.” The words were joking but there was a bit of steel in them as well.

Frank gave a little shake of his head before saying matter of factly, “I don’t have much to talk about Curt, you know that.”

Curtis’ face split into a sudden wide smile. 

“Well, maybe you will now.” In an instant he turned that blinding smile to Karen with a quick wink which had her smiling at him in return, a light blush creeping up her neck.

“Ah, _Christ._ ” 

Karen’s smile grew when she heard Frank’s muttered distress. He was right, her and Curtis together probably was going to be trouble for him. She was really looking forward to it.

“You must be Karen Page.” Curtis extended out a large warm hand for her to shake.

She took the proffered hand, smile never leaving her face, “That’s right. I wish I could say I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Hoyle.”

They shared a knowing look before he released her hand and ushered them in, “Call me Curt, please. Frank’s told me a lot about you, I mean, in the way Frank does. Lots of denial, muttering how you’re ‘too good’ for him and LOTS of hang dog expressions.”

“Jesus, c’mon Curt.” Frank sounded pained.

Karen tried to hide her smile but only partially succeeded. Curt seemed to take pity on him though, guiding Karen to a seat at his dining room table before pulling Frank into a half hug.

“I’m glad everything went well. This is the best I’ve seen you look in awhile, showing up at my door.” That knowing look came over Curt’s face again as he looked Frank over.

“Well, it’s not me you’re putting back together this time.” Frank gestured to where Karen sat as she gingerly pulled off her jacket in anticipation of her examination. “Took a bullet to her trapezoid, deep graze. Bled a lot but I was able to get stitches in it. Wanted to make sure I didn’t fuck anything up so I thought maybe you could take a look at it.”

Without prompting, Karen tugged down the overly large t-shirt she wore so that it slid over her shoulder and her bandage was visible. Curt watched Frank for a moment, confusion clear on his features and in his voice when he spoke.

“You’ve probably done just as many sutures as I have at this point. You were nearly as good as me back when we were in the corps.”

Frank looked uneasy, the tips of his ears turning pink. “Yeah, well, ‘nearly’ as good isn’t ‘as good’ is it? I just wanted to be sure that she wasn’t gonna scar too bad or lose any mobility because of it.” If Karen knew any better, he almost sounded embarrassed.

Curt continued to stare at Frank in a way that told Karen he could read Frank like a book. For a moment he didn’t say anything, just turned and gave Karen a sweet smile before gently peeling back the bandage and inspecting the damage. He poked a few spots around the wound, asking about her discomfort, had the wound felt hot, what was her pain level now and so on until he finally nodded to himself and dug around in his own medical bag for fresh salve and gauze. 

“Looks perfectly fine to me, you did a good job.” He said over his shoulder to Frank and then turned back to Karen, “As long as it stays clean and there is no infection I think you will be as good as new in a few weeks, Miss Page.”

“Just Karen, please. And thank you so much for taking a look at it, the way he was talking I was afraid I might lose my arm at the shoulder or something.” She gave a small laugh as she watched him work at changing her bandages.

Leaning in, Curt began to stage whisper, making sure Frank heard everything he had to say. “That is because our friend back there has a tendency to be a wallowing asshole. So, he thinks because _he_ did the work and it’s on _you_ of all people that it isn’t good enough.” There was a long suffering sigh behind Curt that made him smile at Karen and give her a conspiring wink.

Whispering loudly herself, Karen glanced at Frank as she answered, “I think you and I are going to get along just fine, Curt.”

His smile was blinding as he lifted her shirt back into place. “I think you are right, Karen. Between the two of us, we might actually get him straightened out.”

Frank’s voice jumped in, low and agitated but with no real heat behind the words, “You all know I’m still here, right? You gonna just keep talkin’ shit?”

Washing his hands quickly in the sink, Curt turned and leaned against the counter as he dried his hands with a dishtowel. “Listen, man, you ghost us all the time so we are just bonding a little bit. Besides, it’s nice to meet someone else who can deal with your grumpy ass.”

Karen looked back and forth between them with amusement but there was also a small ache in her chest as she watched the friends talk. It was a glimpse into Frank’s ‘before’ and a realization that she wasn’t the only one missing Frank while he was on his crusade.

Frank looked the slightest bit ashamed, “I didn’t mean to ghost you, just didn’t want you to get mixed up in my bullshit.” 

Curt gave a quiet scoff, “Are you gonna stop being a flakey son of a bitch, then?”

Frank shifted from foot to foot, trying not to look uncomfortable and failing, “I’m gonna try.”

Curt shook his head and looked back to Karen, “That doesn’t sound good enough to me, does that sound good enough to you Karen?”

“You know, it really doesn’t.” What sting may have been in her words was negated by the small, warm smile on her lips as she watched Frank. She would never force him into anything but holding him accountable from time to time wouldn’t hurt him either. He saw her look and gave a small smile in return.

“Alright, alright. I think that is about as much as I can take of the two of you together for now. I need to get Karen back to her place so she can get settled back in.” Frank pulled Curt in for another quick hug before helping Karen to her feet and ushering her towards the door. “I really appreciate you looking her over, Curt, I owe ya one.”

Curt watched his friend with amusement as he was very obviously making his way to the door to escape further ribbing from Karen and himself. “You do owe me one. So next time you call me it better not be because someone is bleedin’.”

Frank made a non-committal noise and said over his shoulder, “Anything for you, Curt,” before the door was closing behind him.

Karen bit back a smile the whole way back down to the van, only succumbing to it once they were situated in the vehicle and Frank glanced at her nervously.

“I like Curt. You should give me his number so we can keep in touch.” Her smile turned mischievous. 

A huff escaped Frank but he was smiling back, “Christ, I’d never have peace again. Besides, you don’t need me to get his number, you’ll use your P.I. skills and have it before I could get it to you anyway.”

She hummed in agreement but watched his face go serious, concern pinching at the corners of his eyes and his bottom lip disappearing between his teeth. Karen felt her stomach drop. _Here it comes. The ‘I’m not good for you, I’m too dangerous’ speech again._

He surprised her though or at least thought better of picking that fight again right now and reached over the console to rest a gentle hand on her thigh. “Are you ready to go back to your apartment? If you don’t feel comfortable going back yet...my apartment isn’t exactly the Ritz but you are welcome to stay there for a bit.” His voice was warm and rough, sending a chill down her spine while simultaneously warming her.

Karen took a moment to think about her response, chewing thoughtfully at her lip and stroking his knuckles with an errant thumb while she thought. On one hand, she was desperate to be somewhere familiar, surrounded by her things, a tangible sense of normalcy. The other hand though, had images of someone waiting for her there, to finish off what was started a month ago. 

Then there was the image of Frank’s back, walking away to continue his war once she was home and secure. 

“Uh....I think my apartment. I can at least see if anyone has been in there. I’m sure the leftovers in my fridge are looking pretty gross at this point too.” She gave a strained laugh and hoped he didn’t pick up on her anxiety. Of course he did, because they don’t miss things with each other. Frank narrowed his eyes at her briefly before giving her thigh a light squeeze and turning to the front to start the van. In a matter of minutes they were headed in the direction of her apartment and Karen felt herself getting more anxious every block they got closer. 

Trying to focus on her breathing, Karen drew in long slow breaths through her nose and then let them out just as slowly. She really didn’t want Frank to see her worry, she especially didn’t want to have to explain that she was more worried about seeing him leave once they got there than she was someone waiting there to kill her.

It felt a bit surreal pulling up to her apartment building. Life, it seemed, had carried on like usual. Mrs. Garcia was watering her windowsill of flowers, Mr. Giertz was probably on his second round of speed walking around the block, he gave Karen a jovial wave as he walked by her. How strange it was to see that nothing had changed when her life had been in such turmoil. 

Frank stepped up beside Karen with her things slung over his shoulder and waited for her to make the first move. So, with a steadying breath, she made her way to the front door and up the stairs until she was staring at her apartment with the keys hanging limply in her fingers. She kept telling her fingers to move, slide the key in lock and open the door but they refused to obey her. _Stop being so dramatic and open the goddamn door._ Karen berated herself but still couldn’t seem to move her hand.

For a moment, Frank waited quietly, watching her carefully before he set her things by the door and tenderly took the keys from her numb fingers. Gently, he nudged her to the side, unlocked the door and then pulled the .45 from his waistband.

“Wait here, I’ll make sure everything is clear.” His voice was soft, as soft as Frank’s voice could be at least, and he moved through the door without a sound.

Seeing him disappear into her apartment snapped Karen out of her stupor, like hell she was going to leave him to fight her battles if there is someone there. She moved her stuff from the hallway to just inside the door and crept down the hallway with her own firearm in hand. However, just as she was rounding the corner, Frank was exiting the bedroom, tucking the gun back into the holster at his waist.

He grunted when he saw Karen at the end of the hallway but cracked a proud smile when he saw her armed. 

“I thought I told you to wait.” There was a hint of reprimand but mostly resignation in his voice. 

“Yeah, well, since when have I ever really listened?” She teased, smiling when he made an affirming sound in the back of his throat.

Slowly she took her eyes off of him and let them trail around her apartment. Aside from being a bit dusty, everything was just as she left it. Her laptop case was haphazardly thrown against the coffee table, the mug she had used for her morning coffee on that crazy day was still on the counter right by the sink and her phone was right where she left it on the kitchen island, broken sim card and all.

Sighing, Karen kicked off her shoes and padded over to the island, grabbing the phone to turn it in her hands. “I guess I’m going to need to get a new SIM card at some point. This isn’t much good to me if I can’t harass people with phone calls.”

Out of the corner of her eye Karen saw Frank jolt a little bit before he moved into the hallway, bringing the bags back with him. He was digging through the side pockets of one when he started to speak. “I almost forgot, David sent this to the safehouse when we were on the way back. I had mentioned that you broke your SIM card before you left. If I had to guess this is probably encrypted.” Finally he produced a small plastic case and handed it to her over the island before leaning down on his elbows.

Karen’s eyes widened in shock when she took the small case and popped it open to reveal a brand new SIM card that was compatible with her phone. Without much thought she slid it into place and pressed the power button on her phone which, miraculously, still had a little battery left.

She was warmed by the gesture and her voice held a bit of wonder when she said, “That was really thoughtful of him. I really am going to owe him one after everything he has done.” 

She made a small distressed noise when a flurry of pings and alert noises exploded from her phone, a month’s worth of texts, emails, phone notifications and updates hitting all at once before the phone promptly ran out of battery and died.

“Well, alright then. To the charger.” Karen stepped into her bedroom, reaching for the charge cord on her nightstand, plugging her phone in and leaving it there. She glanced over the room much like she did her living room and kitchen and just the sight of her bed made her achy and tired. Without much thought, Karen shucked off her coat, dropping it to the floor before laying down on top of her comforter, a pleasured sigh echoing through the room. 

“Tired?” Frank’s voice startled her eyes open, which she hadn’t realized she closed. He was leaning against the door jamb with his hands tucked in his pockets while he slowly regarded her.

Karen rather liked the look of him in her bedroom.

“Mhm. I felt pretty awake until I looked at my bed and then suddenly I felt the need for a nap. Care to join me?” She gave him an impish smile. 

“I should go through the stuff and see about conquering that beast in your fridge you were so worried about.” He kept his voice low but she could sense the slight anxiety lacing his words. He wasn’t sure if he was welcome here, in Karen’s most personal space.

“It wasn’t really a question, Castle. Are you really going to leave a poor injured girl like myself to nap all alone?” She gave a grand sweeping gesture of the room but stopped with a wince when it tweaked her stitches, giving him a stern look when he huffed a laugh, she didn’t miss the slight relief that softened the corners of his eyes before he spoke.

“No, I don’t suppose I can leave you to your own devices for too long without some catastrophe. Let me just make sure everything is secure, I’ll be back in five.” WIth that, he disappeared from view and she could vaguely hear him moving around her apartment, shuffling things here and there and the sound of a window rattling before he was back, sans combat boots and jacket.

It didn’t take long for Frank to settle in behind her, tossing a throw over the both of them and tucking Karen to his chest. If she thought she had been tired before, tucked against Frank’s warmth, in her own bed, surrounded by his scent, she was utterly exhausted now and she drifted off before she knew it was happening.

When Karen woke later, it was to a clamoring in her kitchen and the smell of Thai food. She was disoriented at first, slowly processing that she was in her bedroom and not a small warehouse or condo in the mountains. Then came the disappointment, feeling the empty space at her back where a warm body had been not too long ago. However, the rumbling growl of her stomach negated that disappointment. Pushing herself up with her good arm, Karen sat up and glanced at the clock, 5 o’clock, she had slept longer than intended. Forcing herself to her feet, she teetered into the kitchen to see Frank distributing various different dishes from the Thai place around the corner onto separate plates. He glanced up when he heard her.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked so I got a few different things, if you’re hungry.” His voice was soft, almost hesitant.

He had killed dozens of people without batting an eye but he was unsure of whether he should have ordered her food for her and raided her cabinets. The man was an anomaly.

“I’m starving and as long as you didn’t get everything at level five spice, I’ll probably like it.” She said around a yawn before taking a seat in front of one of the plates. Frank set a fork on her plate before reaching for his own and for a moment they ate in silence. It was something she really appreciated about Frank, he didn’t feel the need to fill the silence. It felt surprisingly natural eating dinner with him in her apartment, like they had done it hundred times.

Eventually, after they both got second helpings, Frank spoke up. “So what’s your game plan now that you are back and the situation is dealt with?”

Karen hummed around a mouthful of Pad Thai while she thought. Setting down her fork after she finished that bite, she rested her chin in her palm, leaning on the island. 

“I think first thing is going to be going through all of the missed messages on my phone and informing everyone that I am not, in fact, dead. Then, seeing what kind of disarray Matt and Foggy left my desk in. I’ve probably missed a hundred deadlines, meetings and informant sessions, so sorting through all that should be fun. But, I think above all...I’m going to take a really long, really hot bath in my own bathroom.” She finished with an exaggerated sigh. 

The corner of Frank’s mouth quirked up as he finished the last of his plate. Then they were watching each other carefully, both sensing the impending conversation.

“What are your plans, Frank?” She asked, her voice quiet.

His eyes held hers for a moment, indecipherable. She glances down at his hand when his trigger finger begins to tap a rhythm on her counter but she looks back up when he starts to speak.

“I ‘spose I’ll start digging into the next mission. There’s an up and coming drug ring I’ve been watching that needs to be exterminated.” He must have seen the leery expression on her face because he fixed her with a stare. “This is what it would be, being with me, you know? I’m not ready to give up the fight, there’s too much shit in this city I gotta clean up. You gotta know that being together wouldn’t be easy, Karen. The work I do, it would put you in danger. There would probably be nights where you’re awake, wondering if I’m still alive. I can’t give you everything you deserve…”

Karen had heard enough, she was so sick of this same tired argument, so, standing abruptly she rounded the kitchen island to stand face to face with him and told him as much. 

“Are we really going to do this again Frank? I don’t know how many different ways I can tell you that I want _you._ All of you. The kind parts, the dangerous parts and the infuriating parts.” She was so frustrated, tired of being scared of him disappearing, tired of repeating herself over and over. She was talking faster and faster, her voice more and more agitated. “I am not going to keep _doing_ this with you. I…”

Karen trailed off as she took in his demeanor, hip resting against the island, arms crossed over his chest and while there was no smile on his lips, his eyes crinkled at the corners, telling her he was trying not to let her see he was amused.

Raising an eyebrow at her, Frank asked calmly, voice full of gravel, “Are you finished?”

Her eyebrows drew together and she wanted to continue her tirade but this is usually the part where he fired back at her with more reasons why he was no good, so she was perplexed by his calm. She gave a stiff nod. 

Frank nodded in return as he stepped into her space, wrapping strong arms loosely around her waist. “What I was going to say was....I can’t give you everything you deserve...but I’ll give you everything I can. What’s left of me, it belongs to you.” His eyes were sincere, dark brown and bottomless, full of uncertainty she knew he would always carry with him but just as full of promise.

Unbidden, a few tears fell over her lashes and trailed down her cheeks so Karen swiped at them before swatting at his arm lightly. “You think you could have stopped me before I completely unloaded on you and looked like a tool?”

His answer chuckle was deep in his chest and she felt it through her palm where it rested over his heart. “I like to hear you when you are on a roll like that. Like to hear your conviction.” He kissed a slow line from the base of her neck up to her jaw before he gave her a drugging kiss, slow and intentional.

Karen was trying to process still, she had been prepared to hash it out with him again, plead her case one more time but now she didn’t need to. He had agreed to give them a shot, he wasn’t leaving, never to return and she was overwhelmed and not sure what to do with the knowledge. Until his teeth grazed just under her ear and his strong hands slid tantalizingly over her ribs. She knew what she wanted to do. 

She wanted to celebrate.

So, pulling away just enough to grab his belt, Karen pulled Frank through her bedroom door and pushed it closed with a decisive click.

\---

In the end, they settled into a rhythm. Frank stayed with Karen most nights unless a job he finished was hotter than he thought. Then he would camp out in a safe house until things blew over. He only forgot to call and tell her once, he wouldn't make that mistake again if he could help it. Karen still investigated dangerous situations but would listen when Frank expressed concern. There were times he insisted on accompanying her if she HAD to get the information. 

Frank did most of the cooking and Karen was getting really good at determining when something needed stitches and how to administer them. She knew when she could handle the first aid and when to call Curt. They were both learning when to let things lie and when to press. Both had jagged edges but were learning how to put those pieces together and make a full life.

Karen believed that, even before she knew Frank, before tragedy redefined his life, Frank loved passionately with everything he had. That he had always been incredibly protective of the people he loved, if even a touch on the _overprotective_ side. Never letting the kids too far out of his sight, a gentle hand on Maria’s lower back as they crossed a street, making sure he walked closest to the road during walks, investigating any out of the ordinary bumps in the house during the night. But now, after losing everything, Frank was determined to make sure she was safe at all costs. Karen is fiercely independent so it chafes every once in a while when he panics when she doesn’t answer her phone, when he gently maneuvers her through a construction zone or the time he mean mugged a poor kid for wolf whistling at her so hard she was sure the teenager had a heart attack. But the chafing only lasts a second when she remembers how much he has lost, that he still hasn’t forgiven himself for not protecting his family. Her pride can deal if it means he feels secure, doing everything he can to protect her. Frank knows how capable she is, he knows she doesn’t need someone to hail her cab or stand guard while she does a particularly tough interview but he does it anyway. Besides, after so long of only having herself to rely on, it was nice to be cared for so thoroughly. 

Frank knew that Karen would never be satisfied with anything less than the truth and came to accept that she would chase that truth wherever it led, much to his horror on many occasions. He caught glimpses, every now and then, of the Karen from before. Her granite exterior would crack from time to time and he would see the wounded woman she hid from the world and it only made him love her more fiercely. She felt love, sadness and anger with her full being, her heart on her sleeve, always. She was devoted and loyal, everything she had she gave him, no questions asked and he would be lying if he said it didn’t terrify him. However, with one look, a small laugh or a gentle caress, Karen would remind him it was worth it. Sure, she was infuriating sometimes, headstrong and reckless. On more than one occasion, Frank felt like he may pull his hair out, going in circles with her always looking for trouble. They’d fight but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the way she pushed back, calling him on his bullshit. He was a naturally combative person, so having a woman who could hold her own against him was a perfect fit. Besides, they always made up in the best of ways, tangled sheets, breathing heavily, little nips and bruises, words of adoration. He really did like making up from their fights.

It wasn’t perfect. Frank still had his demons, his need for the mission. Nightmares would keep him up at night, sometimes about his family, sometimes about Karen. Karen still had her past traumas to deal with and still ran headlong into trouble, little regard for her own safety. They argue, she doesn't always agree with how Frank handles things, he can't make Karen stop running into the dark places of the city, but they were making it work. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this has been in the works since February and I had no idea how much of my time it would actually take! Something I intended to be only a few chapters ending up being around 70k words and it was definitely unexpected. This was my first chapter fic and while it's not perfect, I'm happy to see it completed!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, the lovely comments and kudos, it has been a wonderful experience!


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